


Astronautical: Luciferous

by OfMonstersAndMe



Series: Astronautical [5]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Cartoon), Guardians of the Galaxy (Comics), Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe, Black Order - Freeform, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Knowhere, Minor Character Death, Nova Corps, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Ravagers - Freeform, celestials
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2019-04-28 02:55:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 88,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14439954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OfMonstersAndMe/pseuds/OfMonstersAndMe
Summary: Peter has finally managed to gather the original Guardians together, but this new universe still has some secrets waiting for him, and not all of them are as they first seem. With Mantis's fate still unknown, and the lines between enemy and ally growing blurrier every day, it's up to Peter and his friends to find a way to overthrow Thanos and save the galaxies again.Book 2 of the Astronautical series.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is Book 2 of the Astronautical series. If you have not already read Book 1,it can be found in my profile. This is set in an alternate universe which Thanos created by changing the timeline when the original timeline wasn't going how he hoped. A lot of this won't make much sense if you haven't read the first, sorry.
> 
> Title is from "Somedays" By Audioslave.
> 
> I do not own Marvel or the characters. This is purely a fanwork for entertainment.

**Prologue:**

Ego was born the last of his kind. He hadn't known it at the time. Indeed, he hadn't known enough to know that he had a kind at all. In the worst sort of irony that the universe proved ever so willing to dispense, the kind that was as cruel as much as it was uncaring, he discovered both truths almost at once; He was something wonderful, and powerful, and so very, very alone. For a time, it didn't matter. He entertained himself with building a world. Some nameless instinct, like a secret message nestled in the very core of his being, whispered to him that this was his purpose, what he was made to do, but when he completed his task, he looked about and found no one to share his beauty with. He had almost forgotten, so swept up in his purpose and then his accomplishment, but he was still alone. Wishing to forget again, he turned back to his planet.

Eons passed, and in his solitude the joy he felt in creating his world transformed into desperation. The aching loneliness pressed in ever closer, always breathing down the back of his neck as he fled deeper and deeper into the details of his creation. When every last stone, and leaf, and column was laced with the finest and most intricate details, and even the dust stirred in patterns that had been as rehearsed and coordinated as the most solemn of dances, he fled instead into the stars. Surely, there must be life beyond himself. Even if he was the last of his kind, there must be others who could understand him, at least.

Alas, out in the endless galaxies, that soon would prove too small, he found only insects. Mindless, buzzing, meaningless insects. Some feared him, some worshiped him, and some welcomed him as they would any of their own kind, but none understood him, and his disappointment was immeasurable. He was as a god, sitting in an empty field, no less alone for the all the chirruping songs of the insects around him.

Slowly, the chirruping insects began to grow faces and names, and he learned to tell them apart. They were not gods, nothing even close to it, but they were possessed of their own sort of simple charm, and as he observed their colonies, he began to notice that, while their individual lives were hopelessly short and meaningless, they could create others like themselves, to carry on the tasks left at their deaths. He grew envious of the insects because, they would never know the loneliness that defined his every moment. Envy turned to something darker, and before long he despised them with every molecule of his being. He no longer wanted to share what they had, he wanted to rip it away from them, he wanted them to feel the crushing weight of an eternity alone and unloved.

Then the thought came to him that he could do just that. If they could not understand him, then they served him no purpose, anyways. What use were any of these insects to a god? He would take everything they had. He would become the universe, life, existence, and he would no longer be alone, because he would be everything. That familiar whispering instinct, perhaps a bit more bitter and twisted than it had been the last time, returned to him, and the Expansion began. He traveled the universe, hiding little pieces of his core on every planet he passed. He soon became aware, however, of a new problem; the universe was vast, and he lacked the power to consume it on his own. It was another cruel reminder that he was alone. A fact that haunted him like a hound nipping relentlessly at his heels no matter where, or with how much vigor, he fled. In the wake of this newest twist of fate, he cursed the universe and all its heartlessness until even the voice of his created avatar broke from the strain, and he could do nothing but kneel in the dirt and gasp out at the stars above, which only stared back impassively as ever. That was the first time he had truly cried.

Now he envied the mortals for a new reason. Were he capable of it, he would have lain there until his death came, and he would have welcomed it with nothing but gratitude and relief. Alas, again, he was not mortal. There was no escape from the pain, and there never would be, unless he made it himself.

A new thought sparked to life as he thought of the mortals who he despised so much. The very source of his jealousy and spite -their ability to reproduce, to create more of themselves- would prove to be his inspiration for their downfall as well.

If he could not find another of his kind, perhaps he could create one. Not a true god perhaps, a bastard creation of his very own, but it would be his kin, and the closest thing to himself he may ever have. For the first time in countless ages, he felt the spark of hope again. It caught quickly, burning bright and hot, his desperation lighting it like gasoline.

More ages passed, these in a whirlwind of planets and women, laughing faces and colorful skirts swirling about. One by one, his progeny came to age and one by one they all proved to be failures, but he would not give up. He mourned the loss of each child, more the loss of his own dream than the loss of their life. Death was surely a better fate for his children than to live their lives as nothing but mere insects. He could spare them from that, at least.

In his time among them, however, the insects again began speaking to him. It happened so gradually, that he hadn't realized until it was nearly too late. He was becoming like them. He had grown so used to dressing up in his false insect body and masquerading among them that he was forgetting he was a god.

The breaking point came by the name of Meredith Quill. A member of an unremarkable species on an unremarkable little planet in a very underdeveloped part of the galaxies. In fact, they were hardly more than cave dwellers, he had thought, when he had first arrived. But from these backwards little creatures, came a woman, and hardly that, all lanky limbs and giant doleful eyes that peered up at him with such innocence and genuine interest that for once, he almost didn't feel so alone. Much like he had once buried himself in the creation of his planet, he buried himself now under her gaze and within her surprisingly warm embrace, wrapping them around him like a warm coat to stave off the chill of his loneliness. He could have stayed there with her forever. Except, she was a mortal and he had a greater purpose now.

Three times he left, and three times he returned.

He never returned a fourth. He made certain he had nothing to return to. Still, there was no other woman after Meredith. He continued his travels, placing the portions of his core on planets as he had before, but he could not bring himself to create another life. He told himself that it was because so very many had failed. That he was simply tired from all the disappointment. That was all. It was in these wanderings that he would stumble upon Mantis, a peculiar sort of insect who would eventually become a band-aid to his tattered mind. She would be the first being beyond himself and his progeny to ever see his planet, but her awe and appreciation was lost to him in his bitter state. He still could not die, and with his purpose to harden his heart, he no longer wished to, but sleep became a new refuge in which he could hide from the shadow of loneliness, ever present, and ever growing.

The last of his children came of age and failed, and when the time came for his very last child, Meredith's child, he was prepared for this final disappointment. It was nearly a relief when he did not come, and perhaps it was for that reason that he did not immediately set out to enact any sort of revenge against the man who had failed to deliver his son as promised, and why, even when he did stir himself to seek out his last remaining hope for the Expansion, he did it with a halfhearted vigor at best. Often, he returned to his planet and to a long sleep much sooner than he needed to, and often he would follow a trail just a little too slowly, only to have the lead slip away. In the deepest shadows of his heart, he was afraid that if he hunted down the Ravager, he would find Peter, and if he found Peter, that he would find some piece of Meredith lingering within him.

When the whispering came to his ears of a Terran who had somehow miraculously held an Infinity Stone and survived, Ego knew right away that it was Peter. It was a miracle, but not in the way that the rest of the universe thought. The true miracle was something much grander. It was like a sign from the universe which had always been so cold and cruel; the time for the Expansion had come.

When he found Peter, he was both relieved and disappointed to discover that while Meredith's child did bear some resemblance -Ego had learned enough in his travels to pick out some of the finer nuances of their features- he did not so strongly resemble her as to give him any further pause in his plans.

But his plans, thousands of years of work and preparation, and countless children sacrificed to the light, all added up to nothing more than a spectacular failure. Peter had refused him, and wasn't that irony just perfect? All of his children before had been eager to join their father as a god when they learned of what they could be. Peter alone had been possessed of the ability to achieve that immortality, and Peter alone had spat in its face and cast it aside.

Peter had cast him aside, and the rage that Ego felt at that final insult was inconsolable. An eternity spent in search of something like an equal, and that equal had treated him as nothing! Ego had been worth even less than the very insects that he had been interned with for eons. Even in his wild rage, Ego did not want to kill his son, but he thought perhaps the eternal silence that had so tortured him could school Peter to understanding his own place in the universe as well. A few thousand years suspended in the light would not harm him, but much like when Ego had grown to hate the mortals for their bonds and friendships and wanted to take them away, so he wanted to rob Peter of all these false loves and force him to understand Ego's plight. He just needed to understand. Once he knew the truth, he would see the sense in the plan. He would join Ego willingly and Ego would finally, finally, not be alone!

But Peter's friends were more cunning that Ego had realized, and with the destruction of his core he found himself ripped from the mortal realm. In its own way, the Expansion had brought him peace at last.

.

**Chapter 1: Plain Clothes and Miranda Rights**

_Peter dreamed of walking among a starry landscape. There was no pathway or patches of land, so he used the stars themselves as stepping stones to traverse the darkness. He could feel the cold heat of eyes watching him carefully as he wandered, but try as he might he could never find where the sensation was coming from. All the stars seemed to twinkle back at him with a glint, as though they knew, but thought this a fine entertainment and so were unwilling to share their information._

_He wandered through empty fields of stars, and through galaxies and nebulas that he had to wade through like colorful fogs. He skipped down asteroid belts like he was a child playing hopscotch on the playground of his school back on Earth. He thought at first that he had been wandering aimlessly, but as time passed -in the obscure and impossible to define way of dreams- he became aware of the sound of singing in the distance. He couldn't place the tune, but it felt somehow familiar, and grew louder with every step._

_As he drew closer to his unknown destination the stars began to shift around him. Some began gathering towards him as though pulled by magnets within his boots, and forming a glowing pathway under his feet. Others were pooling together in the distance, traversing the sky in a swirling dance like water sweeping towards a drain. The sky from which they had been pulled became impossibly dark and endless. Soon the stars had arranged themselves in such a fashion that to one side, the space around him was filled with empty nothingness, while the other side had gathered so many stars so as to become impossibly bright. Peter stood in the middle where a few stray stars still twinkled, like a strip of reality between the darkness and the light, on a pathway made of stars._

_The song was stronger than ever and Peter decided it must be coming from the light. It was a sort of tuneless lullaby. The kind his mother would hum sometimes when he was sick._

_"Peter." A voice broke through the peaceful moment, and when Peter looked over his shoulder, he wasn't surprised to find Yondu this time, standing on nothing in particular among the small strip of stars. "Come away from there, boy."_

_Peter considered the false man for a moment, finding none of the fear he had felt that last time they had met. Perhaps because he had been expecting this, or perhaps because this was a dream, and he felt secure that he would not be harmed. The false Yondu had a strange expression on his face, neither anger nor fear, but Peter could not otherwise place it._

_The humming grew in another swell, and Peter turned back towards the pathway before him. The bright light felt warm and soothing, and when his eyes grew tired of staring into their depths and he turned to look at the void, he found that, rather than the terror that had filled him before, he just felt a calming peacefulness wash over him. Like taking a cool nap in the shade after a long hot day's work. He thought he could crawl into that darkness and fall sleep and be content to never again awaken._

_"Peter." The voice insisted from behind him. "It's time to come back."_

_"Why?" Peter asked, aware that he sounded like a petulant child whining at being told it was time to come inside from playing in the yard. He liked it here. He couldn't quite recall where 'back' was, but he felt like returning would hurt. He didn't want to hurt._

_"You don't belong here."_

_Peter stared at the soothing light and the peaceful dark. He felt like he belonged here. Slowly, he lifted his boot and took another step forward._

_"What about your friends?"_

_The question halted Peter in his tracks. He had forgotten about his friends. They still needed him. He couldn't stay here. As if it could feel his thoughts, the music from ahead rose even louder and he felt his heart beat a little faster. There was an ache in him so deep and terrible, like a homesickness that threatened to tear his very heart from his chest if he turned away._

_"If you leave now, they_ will _die."_

_Peter wasn't sure if that was supposed to be a warning or a promise._

_His feet weighed a thousand pounds each as he turned around, and he thought it might have been less painful to rip his eyes from his skull and leave them here than to pull them away this time. He clung to the thought of his friends like a life-saver on a stormy sea to keep his conviction as he returned the way he had first come. As he walked, the light behind him unraveled into stars once more and the humming faded. Yondu offered him a single smile before vanishing, leaving the pathway back clear, and Peter desperately hoped he would not come to regret his decision._

-x-

Peter didn't wake up, so much as he slowly came to the realization that he had already been awake for some time, he just hadn't noticed it yet. By the time he thought to wonder where he was, the four corners where the walls of his little white room met the ceiling were already a familiar sight. There was a soft beeping that had been keeping a rhythm with his heart, and threatened to lull him back to sleep again. The rest of the world around him was a perfect sort of silence; peaceful and safe.

He could have laid there, content to trace the shadows in the seams of the ceiling for hours, if it weren't for the low hum of pain that slowly filled his limbs and wormed its way into his body, demanding his attention. For a while he tried to ignore it, but the pain built up until he was forced to stir from his position in search of some relief. The second he tried to move, however, the pain that had been only creeping up to this point, seemed to explode. Peter gasped and rolled onto his right side, the left one seemed to be the epicenter of the worst of his pain, although his head, which felt like someone had been practicing with a power drill on it, was offering close competition.

A mess of wires was stickied to his chest and tangled under his elbows when he rolled. After a couple failed attempts to untangle himself he gave up and ripped them off, discovering in the process that his left hand was casted again. Immediately after the wires were plucked from his skin the soft beeping turned into one long whine. Oh. Peter forced his bleary eyes to look up and take in the little medical bay around him. It was a small room -not tiny, but definitely small- and the medical equipment and carts pressed up against the walls offered very little in the way of clues as to where he was or how he'd come here.

Peter was laying on a bed that took up the better part of the back wall. The mattress underneath him was hardly more than the length of his body, but it was deceptively comfortable. At the head of his bed was the heart monitor that had been providing him company, a flat red line and a series of warning symbols adorned the bottom of the screen.

Finding no help in the present, he tried to cast his mind back to see if he could recall anything of importance. The last thing he remembered was crawling through the dust and debris on Traxxon 3. After that came a pericing light, then darkness, and a sense that he had been dreaming again. A weight settled in his belly as he considered the possibility that he had been captured again. He didn't appear to be bound in any way, but that didn't sooth him overly much right now. All he really knew was that he was alone, and he needed to find his friends, or at the very least, find out what their fates were.

Slowly, Peter pulled himself up into a sit and dropped his legs over the edge of his bed. The floor was chilly and the cold seeped quickly through the thin socks that covered his feet. As he stared down at his feet and the unfamiliar socks, he realized that he was dressed entirely in a set of soft white pajamas that he had never seen before. Hospital clothes may have been a more apt description, but the thought made Peter uncomfortable and brought up memories he didn't have the time to dwell on now.

The door on the far wall opened with a little swish, startling him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see a woman who struck him as vaguely familiar standing with one hand on the door frame. She was breathing a bit hard, and her mouth parted slightly in surprise at the sight of him. He didn't have long enough to figure out where he knew her from when she blinked her huge eyes and turned to dash away.

Peter tried to call after her, but his words got caught up in his painfully dry throat and he was reduced to a brief fit of coughing. When the coughing subsided he wiped the dampness from the corner of his eyes and pushed himself to his feet. He was pleasantly surprised that, despite some minor protest, and a renewed burning in the place where the blaster had caught him square in the shin, his legs bore his weight. Slowly, Peter shuffled his way over to the door. It opened readily at his approach, casting further doubt on his initial worry that he was a prisoner.

Outside of the room was a small hallway. The walls were a pale grey-blue, and a few doors which looked similar to his were set into both sides before the hallway turned out of sight. Peter was debating which direction to try when the sound of footsteps and hushed voices reached his ears. A beat later a pair of people rounded the corner and Peter's bafflement only grew.

He knew why the girl had looked so familiar now. He hadn't placed her because she'd been out of uniform. She was still in a loose white t-shirt and comfortable pair of jeans as she lead her new companion back towards Peter. Her loose brown curls were rumpled and a corner of her shirt was untucked, giving him the impression that his waking had interrupted her rest. It was such a casual look for the Nova Prime's personal secretary, that it may have taken him longer still to place her if not for the fact that Denarian Dey was trotting at her heels.

Peter stared in slack jawed confusion as the pair finished their approach. Xandaar had burned. He had seen the blackened planet with his own eyes, and by all accounts he had heard, the Nova Corps had burned with it. Was he dead after all?

These people certainly didn't look like they belonged to any afterlife as they came to a stop in front of Peter. Dey was holding a hand up in greeting. When Peter did nothing, Rohmann Dey mistook Peter's shocked silence as nervousness and offered him a friendly smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Peter noticed up close that the Nova Corpsman looked much older than he remembered. There were deep lines on his brow and a sadness to his eyes that seemed out of place on the cheerful Xandarian, and a dusting of white hairs along his temple. Peter supposed the stress of losing your entire planet may do that. Peter shook himself from his stupor enough to accept the offered hand. Dey's grasp was feather light over the bandages that covered Peter's right palm, and he was reminded that both of his blasters had been destroyed on Traxxon III. The thought elicited a wave of loss he hadn't been expecting over the inanimate blasters he'd carried since he was a child still learning the ways of this new life among the stars, and reminded him of a bigger issue.

"Where are my friends?"

Dey and the assistant who's name Peter couldn't quite recall shared a look, and in the silence Peter's imagination was left running wild with fear that they were going to tell him he was alone. He nearly melted in relief when Dey finally spoke.

"Why don't we take you to them?"

Dey waved Peter in the direction they had come from, and Peter quickly fell in step beside him. The lady fell in step on Peter's other side, and he was well aware that they were carefully slowing their pace to match his own more hampered stride. He was grateful, but also impatient with himself to get to where his friends were and see them with his own eyes.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions." Dey said with false casualness. "Why don't we start with introductions? I'm-"

"Rhomann Dey." Peter supplied immediately. Dey's eyebrows rose and he shared another look with his companion.

"Yes," He continued, less surprised than Peter would have expected, and with a calculating look in his eyes that made Peter suspect someone had told him of Peter's belief he belonged to another timeline, and the Denarian was feeling him out. That was fine. Peter would be happy to supply them with whatever proof they needed.

"And you," Peter turned to look at the woman on his other side. "were the secretary for Nova Prime, right? I don't remember your name, sorry."

"Emeryn Marlowe." She offered, not unfriendly, but not much more than that either.

"I'm Peter Quill." He said, sure that they were already aware but still wanting to be polite.

"So," Peter moved on, deciding to dive right into his real question when he couldn't find a softer way to approach the subject. "What are you guys doing here? I was told that the Nova Corps was destroyed."

Peter had directed his question towards Dey, but Marlowe answered instead.

"Most of us were." She said in a matter of fact way. "We lost 85% of our fleet, all of our ground crew and..."

"All of the citizens." Dey broke in, staring ahead. "Everyone who was on the planet."

Marlowe continued like she hadn't been interrupted.

"Those that survived were forced to go into hiding. We help when we can. Assisting refugees and protecting supply routes and information channels for those who still stand in opposition to Thanos's spread. But we're a small force and stretched thin as it is, and we have to lay pretty low if we don't want Thanos to find us and finish the job before we can grow strong enough to survive another attack. If we want to start making a real difference we need to find a way to take on Thanos and his generals more directly." Those huge eyes were staring at him with a sort of hunger that made Peter feel a bit uncomfortable. It reminded him of the look that Ego had given him when he was planning to use Peter as a battery for his plan to destroy the universe. He didn't know how much they had been told about Peter and his supposed powers, but he'd hazard a guess that she knew enough to want to use those powers against the Titan.

She was far from the only person to have such thoughts. After all, Nebula and Drax had first agreed to help him for the very same reason, but he was still relieved when the conversation quickly took a turn to other matters.

"I believe your friends are in their bunks right now." Dey informed him with a short wave of his hand as they entered a wider hallway with numbered doors set into the side. "We gave them their own set of rooms in a section of barracks that's been unused. Figured it would be better for everyone if they weren't sharing with the main crew. It's pretty late in the cycle, but they're probably still awake, and anyways they've requested we inform them as soon as you wake up."

"How long was I out?" Peter asked.

"Not too long." Dey assured him. "About a cycle and a half. You're injuries were very bad when we found you. You were hardly conscious and just babbling nonsense. The medical staff was worried you may have done some permanent damage, or might not wake up at all."

Peter tried to remember anything like that. His clearest memories cut off in the dust and smog, but he thought he could remember lights shining through the dark even as he faded away. Were they ships lights he had seen? The more he tried to focus, though, the more the vision of stars and humming voices mixed memory and dream until he gave up on recalling anything useful.

"How _are_ you feeling?" Dey asked after a pause.

Peter considered the question as Dey managed to fix him with a sympathetic look that, while genuine, didn't quite cover up the spark of curiosity underneath. He was fishing for answers. Not so subtly looking for evidence of whatever other secrets Peter may be hiding, such as his increased healing and durability, which, although nothing as spectacular as Gamora or Nebula's enhancements, were once again the only reason he was up and about when he should have been bedridden or worse. Nebula was the only one he had confided in about the truth of his powers and heritage, and he doubted she had told anyone else. Yondu knew a good deal of the truth as well, but again Peter found it hard to believe the captain who had so faithfully kept the secret for more than twenty years would betray it now.

In his dealings with the Nova Corps, Peter had learned that Dey was far sharper than his goofy smiles and easygoing personality would suggest, but he had a terrible face for lying, so Peter could safely guess that he was just digging with no real goal in mind right now.

"I hurt." Peter answered truthfully. "My ribs, my head and my shin are the worst. Everything else is just... mildly crippling agony."

Peter pulled his lips up into his best attempt at a humorous smile, but it came out as more of a crooked grimace.

He thought Dey's answering smile almost reached his eyes this time before the Denerian stopped to rap his knuckles against one of the doors.

There was the sound of muffled voices, and a chair sliding across the floor from within while Peter shifted impatiently on his sore legs. A moment later the door opened to reveal Drax looming in the opening, his body blocking most of the room behind him. The Destroyer certainly looked worse for the wear; bandages covered nearly every inch of his arms, and sat snuggly under his ribs. His upper chest remained stubbornly bare despite a gash the length of Peter's lower arm that cut across from his left collarbone to the lower ribs on his right side. The wound, which looked like it had just barely missed splitting his ribcage open, was held together with a long row of surgical staples. The edges looked puffy and inflamed, and Peter didn't bother hiding a wince at the sight.

"Peter Quill?" Drax greeted with much less enthusiasm than Peter was feeling himself, and he tried to ignore a wave of disappointment at the less than spectacular reunion. "You are awake, this is good." The Destroyer continued, offering him a tired but sincere smile and stepping back into the room in wordless invitation.

Peter didn't need to be told twice and followed him inside. On both side walls were a pair of bunk beds made up with simple grey-blue sheets that neatly matched the walls. In front of the door that Peter had just entered through was a small open space with a table and set of chairs. One of the chairs was pulled out and Drax's knife sharpening kit and one of his twin blades were set down on the table.

Groot was currently occupying one of the remaining chairs -a portable type of folding chair that looked like it was nearly at its limit- and looking much better than his companion. A couple of charred patches across the thicker pads of bark and the fact that one of his arms was just a touch smaller than the other was the only evidence of the battle. The colossus greeted him much more warmly than Drax had, and Peter's pride was soothed a bit.

On the bottom bunk of one of the beds was Cosmo who appeared to have been curled up and asleep before Peter's arrival had disturbed him. To Peter's amusement it appeared someone had fashioned the dog a ramp that ran the short distance between the edge of the mattress and the floor. That amusement quickly vanished when Cosmo pulled himself to his feet and limped down the ramp, picking his way down the short path carefully as he favored his left side. Cosmo's astronaut suit was conspicuously absent, making him look smaller than Peter remembered. White stretchy bandages covered a portion of his chest, holding several healing packs against the side Ronan's hammer had struck. One of his forelegs had a small shaved patch where it was likely an IV had been placed at some point. Still, Cosmo approached him with an easy smile and a wag of his tail.

_Brother Peter. Cosmo is glad to see you up and about so soon._

"Glad to see you, too, Cosmo." Peter greeted as Cosmo came to stand among the gathered group. Peter scanned the room again, his smile fading as he failed to find any evidence of the rest of his crew. "Where are Gamora and Nebula?" He asked. "...And Rocket?"

An uncomfortable silence took the room as the others seemed to be debating who would answer. After a moment, Dey cleared his throat.

"Your... remaining friends... have some very considerable criminal records." Dey's watched Peter carefully as he spoke, seeming unsure about how he would take this news. "They are currently incarcerated where they won't be a danger to anyone until a decision can be made."

"Decision about what?" Peter asked darkly. Dey shifted nervously but held his ground.

"About what to do with them. There are some-"

"The Prime and Upper Council will make their decision after the trial." Marlowe cut off whatever Dey had been about to say in a sharp tone. "The crew will just have to accept whatever decision they make. Now that you're awake, Peter, we can get more information and be that much closer."

"I want to see them." Peter demanded, squaring his jaw and standing as straight and imposing as he could manage.

It seemed they had been expecting this, however, as Dey and Marlowe shared another brief look before Dey gave an ineloquent shrug and stepped back out of the room.

"It's a bit of a walk, but as long as you think you can make it I don't see any reason why you can't at least see them. We'll have to keep it short, though, and then we should take you back to your room for the night. It's late, and the Council will want to get your statement first thing in the morning."

And before they had a chance to corroborate their stories. Peter had been in enough interrogations to hear what Dey had left unsaid.

Cosmo gave a quick stretch, made awkward by having to avoid moving his injured side too much, and followed the Nova Corps out.

 _Cosmo will come with._ He stated matter of factly. Peter looked up at his other friends, but Drax just excused himself as being tired and Groot decided to stay with Drax for now. Peter wished them both a good night, promising to return when he could before turning and following the others back down the hallway.

"So what happened?" He asked no one in particular. "I mean, after I... fell unconscious. Is Ronan..?"

"Dead?" Marlowe guessed. "No. We barely managed to get you and your allies out of their and escape with our lives. Our forces are still too small to take any of Thanos's generals on directly." Her voice had taken on a bitter note at the end. "Is it true?"

"What?" Peter asked when she turned her eyes on him with a sudden intensity.

"That you can hold an Infinity stone?" She pressed, eyes bright with that same hunger from before. "That you can use it?"

"Marlowe!" Dey reprimanded.

"Don't you see, Rhomann?" She continued, rounding on Dey with her bright eyes. "This could change everything! Just think of what we could do if we had that sort of power. We could start saving bigger targets, recruiting more forces, start going on the offensive, maybe even turn the tide of this whole war."

"Marlowe." Dey sighed, softer this time, and something in the tone stilled the assistant's ramblings. A slight coloring rose to her cheeks as she seemed to suddenly realize she'd made an outburst.

"Of course," She said more sedately, eyes turned down apologetically. "That's all up to the Upper Council and Nova Prime."

Peter felt an uncomfortable tug in his chest when he realized his own opinion wasn't included in her list of considerations.

-x-

Peter's legs were just started to grow more insistent in their complaints when they came upon a heavy sliding door that split apart in the middle, locked with a keypad that only granted them access after Dey produced some sort of keycard from his pocket. On the other side was a small guard's station, hardly more than a couch, table, and kitchenette, with a number of screens set into the wall that could probably be used to monitor the prison rooms if they were on. For now, the screens all sat blank and empty.

Beyond that stretched a short wide hallway, the walls lined with something that looked like glass, but was no doubt much stronger. Behind this wall was a number of small rooms, divided from each other with more of the same heavy glass so that if a guard were to peek in, they could see all of the prisoners at once. In each of these small rooms was a simple bed, a nightstand with several books, but no drawers -so nothing could be hidden within, Peter assumed- a small chair that allowed the nightstand to double as a small desk, and a toilet and a sink.

Peter briefly marveled at the very thoroughly equipped prison.

At the end of the short hallway was a cell that was markedly larger than the rest, taking up the entire end wall to wall. This one was equipped with two beds, one on each end, and two desks and chairs. It also possessed a sectioned off corner that Peter guessed was a bathroom with a sink set into the wall next to it. Pretty nice as far as prisons went, honestly. This thought, and the fact that neither Nebula nor Gamora looked to be in any outright duress softened the blow of his friends being once more imprisoned.

Gamora was reclining on one of the beds, propped half-way up against the headboard with her arms pillowed behind her head. White bandages were visible under her top covering the portion of her side where she had been speared through with the piece of ship's paneling. Small scratches laced her arms and face, but they were all shallow and already healing so that they more resembled fine spiderwebs than injuries.

Nebula was on the far side of the room, sitting on the chair that had been provided with her feet thrown up on her own mattress. She had a book held loosely in her hands, but Peter got the impression she was more interested in the excuse to ignore her sister than the actual contents. There was a series of gashes on her right arm and one across her face that must have been pretty nasty as they were still in the process of healing and looked a bit painful.

Both assassins had looked up at the group's entrance, but Gamora had quickly lost interest when she spotted Peter and returned to staring at the ceiling. Despite her apparent distraction, Peter had no doubt she would be listening closely to anything that was said.

Peter hadn't actually seen his reflection yet, but he guessed he must be looking pretty disheveled as Nebula had raised her brows and curled a lip up like he'd just tracked mud over a clean carpet.

"Peter." She acknowledged. At first Peter was upset at the sudden coolness in her tone, but after the initial hurt settled a bit he realized that she was probably remaining intentionally distant due to the Nova Corps in the room with them.

"How are you guys?" He asked, one hand pressed against the glass.

"We're fine." Nebula replied in a deceptively flippant tone. "Better than you by the look of it."

Peter ignored the insult that might have been Nebula's own way of worrying about him without admitting it.

"Where's Rocket?" Peter asked, not seeing him anywhere in their room.

Nebula closed her book, keeping place with one of her fingers, and used her free hand to wave at one of the smaller cells to Peter's other side. When Peter looked to where she had indicated he was surprised to find that one the closest cells had been stripped bare of everything that could be removed. He must have been too caught up in the sight of the assassins and walked right past it. All that was left in the small space was the sink and toilet, and Rocket was tucked into the corner next to the toilet. Curled up on his side, unmoving, and with his back to the room, he was hardly more than a shadow.

"Rocket?" He called, stepping over to this new cell. Rocket didn't so much as twitch an ear at him. "Hey, Rocket, you okay?"

"He's tired." Nebula's voice broke in. When he met her eyes she had a strange look, like she was trying to tell him something with her gaze that he just couldn't understand. Deciding to take whatever warning she was trying to give him, he gave up on trying to rouse a response out of Rocket.

The sound of someone clearing out their throat brought his attention back to Dey and Marlowe.

"I'm sure we're all pretty tired." Dey stated. "I think it might be time to head back."

Peter was ready to protest the short visit, but when he glanced at his friends for support he found Nebula had returned to her book, and Gamora looked like she was ready to nod off at any moment.

"Right." Peter sighed, reminded that he still had some sort of interrogation, no matter how nicely worded, in the morning. He had seen his friends with his own eyes, and he'd have to be satisfied with that for now. "If you need anything-"

"We're fine, Peter." Nebula informed him with that same clipped tone that made him feel like he was missing something important. "It's cleaner in here than your ship anyways. Just do as they say."

Peter was escorted back to the medical bay he'd first woken up in. Even though he hadn't been awake for long, his body was spent and he was thankful to settle back down onto the mattress and relieve his legs. Cosmo wished him a good night and assured him once more that everything was as he'd seen it and his friends were in no immediate danger. Dey and Marlowe's goodbye was much more curt and with one final reminder that they'd be back in the morning, and a subtle suggestion that he not leave it until then, they left.

**End**

**Chapter 2 Preview:** "... _He didn't have much time to dwell on this as, as though possessed of one mind, all of the Council stood at attention. The movement was so sudden and so well-coordinated that Peter actually jumped slightly before realizing that someone had just walked through the door_..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Book 2! OMG! So excited! Sorry this so long. The prologue ran a bit longer than I was planning. I considered uploading the prologue as a separate chapter, but it would mess up the chapter count and just slowly drive me nuts. I'm slowly making progress towards making up the weekly update I had to drop. The good news is I've been to the chiropractor twice now and feel way better! Along with the issues I was already aware of, I also had three ribs and my collarbone out, and a vertebra shoved out of place. I'm bruised as all heck from the muscles being reset, but it's been such a relief overall.
> 
> Anyways, the title for book 2 is Luciferous, meaning 'bearing light' as Celestials and the Light will be a major factor in this book. Astronautical (About traveling/navigating through the stars) will remain the name for the series as well as for the first book.
> 
> NOVA CORPS! Or what's left of them. This was a plot point I was planning since the very beginning, but also one that wasn't actually hinted at anywhere in book one, so I don't expect anyone to have guessed it. The first part of this book is an 'answer arc' of sorts so we'll be getting a lot of those soon. This also adds a few new game-changers for Peter and his companions. They might not all be good things, though. *coughs*
> 
> Emeryn Marlowe is a completely made up name. I couldn't find her listed as anything other than 'Nova Corpsmen' or 'the Prime's Assistant' anywhere, but if she does have a name and I just missed it please let me know.
> 
> Thank you for sticking around for the journey!
> 
> -OMaM


	2. In the Rubble of Our Sins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter's hearing brings as many questions as answers, and the more Peter learns about what remains of the Nova Corps, the more he worries about his chances of getting out of here with any speed, and with his crew still intact.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from "Pompeii" by Bastille, though it's modified a bit. The actual line is 'Oh where do we begin; the rubble or our sins?' but this made a better title.
> 
> I own nothing. This is made for entertainment.

Despite his physical exhaustion, Peter's mind was racing, and his sleep was uneasy. When Dey and Marlowe came to gather him as promised, Peter wasn't feeling much better than he had when he'd been dropped off. He was happy to find that Dey came bearing a change of clothes. It was just a spare white T-shirt and the jean bottoms to a cadet uniform, but it was a relief to get out of the hospital attire.

In the bathroom where he was getting changed he caught sight of his reflection and had to do a double take. If his friends had looked terrible, he looked like something straight out of a horror show. His face was littered with cuts and scrapes, the worst of which were on the right where a deep gash across his cheekbone proved the shrapnel from his blaster had just barely missed ruining his eye. Deep purple shadows where blood was pooling underneath both his eyes gave him a mask that could have rivaled Rocket's. A dark swollen bruise ran from his temple to the corner of one of his eyes and down towards his jaw. The white of this eye was stained a deep red, giving him the look of some demon.

Someone had obviously cleaned the worst of the blood and dirt off, but under the harsh lighting of the single bathroom, he could still see a faint red tinting to patches of his hair. No wonder the staff had worried there might be permanent damage. His arms and legs were covered with bruises as well, though his clothing had protected him from more abrasions, and his ribs screamed in such protest when he raised his arms to remove the first shirt that his remaining pride almost wasn't enough to stop him from calling for assistance in getting the new one on.

Eventually, clothed and washed as best he could be, he joined his escorts and they made their way down the hallways. As they walked, Dey explained that this hearing was pretty informal, and that Peter himself wasn't on any sort of trial, they were just trying to sort out the facts that had lead him to be in possession of the Infinity stone, and put him on the top of Thanos's most wanted list. They would also be interested in any proof he may have of his friend's claims that he could indeed wield the stone.

Peter's inquiries after the release of his incarcerated friends had been met with only the suggestion that he bring it up with the Council after the hearing. To distract himself from his frustration, he started asking after the rest of the fleet that had accompanied him to Traxxon III. From Cosmo he learned that most of the guards from Knowhere had returned, some to relieve the strained guards who had been left behind, and others to heal from injuries in the comfort of their own homes. The Ravagers had done much the same. There had been losses from both crews, six of the guards from Knowhere hadn't made it out, and Chromoly had lost one of his arms in a crash. Cosmo couldn't offer more than a couple of names of the Ravagers that had been lost, admitting to simply not remembering them all after the strain of the last couple days. Peter forgave him easily, remembering the sight of his crumpled body after Ronan had tossed him aside, and figured he could get the full list from Yondu later.

"How did he get you to come?" Peter asked the Nova Corps members, curious not only how the Ravager Captain had known about them, but how he had managed to make them believe such a wild tale. "That was a big risk to take if you're still laying low like you said."

"We owed him. Big time." Marlowe, who was dressed in her uniform and looking much less disheveled today, told him with a wry smile. "He helped us during our escape from Ronan and Xandar. It was nothing but a happy accident when we stumbled upon each other, but we would have lost at least another half of the survivors, maybe all of them, if it wasn't for his interference. In exchange, we promised him a favor that was undecided at the time. Never thought this would be what he'd ask for in return."

Peter held back a laugh only because he was sure it would agitate his ribs, settling instead for a small snort and a fond smile. That sounded exactly like something the enterprising captain would do.

"Plus," Marlowe continued after some hesitancy, as though not sure if she should confide this next part. "If what he said about you being able to use the infinity stone had any truth to it, and about Thanos being so determined to find you, we couldn't let The Mad Titan get his hands on you."

The hallways were much busier than they had been last time Peter had been out. Occasionally, other Nova Corpsmen would pass them, some gave them quick glances from the corners of their eyes, and others were more open about their curiosity, but none paused in their duties to interrupt the group and they made it to their destination quickly enough.

"Remember," Marlowe repeated as Dey knocked on the door. "You're not in any trouble, so just be honest and direct. Answer all their questions, and this will be painless."

Painless may have been a bit too optimistic on her part. Peter's legs were already aching from the walk over, and he was grateful to find a cushioned seat had been placed in the center of the room which he collapsed into bonelessly as he took in the room around him.

A dais, raised maybe only a foot above the rest of the room but the symbolic gesture was clear, sat directly in front of him. A long desk ran the length of the platform, every inch of the wood polished until Peter could almost see his own reflection in it. Behind the desk sat six decorated officers. Peter wasn't great at telling the ranks apart from the Nova uniforms, but he was pretty sure they must all be Centurians, the highest ranking of the Nova Corps beside Prime. They sat three on each side, with a seventh seat sitting empty between them.

After seeing Peter settled into his own seat, Dey left to take up a position towards the back of the room, standing at attention but out of the way. Marlowe took one of the empty seats to the side of the room, grabbing a tablet and beginning to type something onto it with intense focus.

As peter studied the Council for anyone he might recognize, he realized that they were all much younger than he had been picturing. The oldest looking no more than a couple decades older than Peter himself, and most looking closer to Peter's own age than that. He didn't have much time to dwell on this as, as though possessed of one mind, all of the Council stood at attention. The movement was so sudden and so well-coordinated that Peter actually jumped slightly before realizing that someone had just walked through the door. Garthan Saal hardly paid Peter any mind as he strode across the room and onto the Dais, taking the last seat. Only when he was settled did the other members of the Council sit back down.

Marlowe darted forward to hand Saal a tablet before returning to her own seat and grabbing a second tablet to type on. Peter caught a quick glimpse of the holo screen as she ran past him, and was reasonably certain it contained a profile on him, judging mostly by the photo in the corner that must have been taken while he was unconscious.

After studying this screen for a moment, Saal placed it down and laced his fingers together on the desk.

"Peter Quill." He began. "Do you know why we have summoned you here?"

Summoned seemed like a nice way to put it, Peter thought as he realized something was still missing.

"Shouldn't we wait for Nova Prime?" Peter asked. "I'm already tired, and it's a long story. I'd rather not have to start over when she gets here."

The Nova Prime was a fierce woman, but she was a stickler for fairness, and Peter would like his chances at making a case for his friends a lot better if she were here.

There was a disquieted muttering among the Council, but Saal silenced them with a stern look.

"I am the Prime." He informed Peter coolly.

"What?!" Peter sputtered. "But what about...?"

"The previous Prime, Irani Rael, has given her life to the service of her people." Saal, Nova Prime, said with a tightness to his face. "Her sacrifice will be remembered and honored in the actions of those who survive her."

As he finished, he raised his hand up to his heart in a brief but solemn gesture that was mirrored by the Council around him.

"Now that we have that cleared up, will you please answer the question?" The please was said in a way that made it clear it was there as a formality only.

When Peter hesitated a moment more, still adjusting to this new reality of Saal, a man he had known only briefly and who had not seemed overly fond of him then, as the leader of the Nova Corps, the Council began to shift restlessly.

"Do you need me to repeat it?" The new Prime asked, a sharp arch to one of his eyebrows.

"No." Peter gathered himself back together. "No, I was told you wanted to know about the Infinity Stone and why Thanos was after me."

Peter related the tale with the ease of someone who had told it countless time before, though he found himself inadvertently playing up Gamora and Rocket's parts, and glossing over Nebula's role in assisting Ronan. Again, he skipped over the part about confronting his father, moving instead onto his strange awakening on the old Milano, and onto how Ronan and captured him.

None of the Upper Council asked any questions or interrupted. They sat so still and expressionless that only the occasional blinking or glances cast at each other assured him that they were paying attention. When he was done, ending his story on Traxxon III when he had lost consciousness, Dey stepped forward to offer him a glass of water while the Council and New Prime put their heads together to discuss something.

"So it is your belief that you could not competently wield the Infinity Stone of Power without the assistance of these Guardians of the Galaxy?" Saal asked as the murmuring came to a close and the Council turned their attention back to Peter.

"Yes." Peter tried not to squirm under their scrutiny. "I was able to hold it alone, but I couldn't do anything, and it might have even consumed me if my friends hadn't helped. It was only after we were all... linked... that I-we could use it to destroy Ronan."

There was another bout of murmuring.

"I understand you are tired, and still recovering from your injuries, so we will keep this meeting short. I have one more matter I'd like to clear up before we let you go. It's been mentioned several times by your companions and yourself that something about you uniquely allows you to wield powers beyond that of a mortal, and yet, no one has been able, or at least willing, to tell us why that is. So, what are you, Peter Quill?"

"My mother was from Earth." Peter stalled. He chewed his lip as he considered the rest of his answer. He could claim ignorance. Even Yondu didn't know that Peter had discovered the truth of his heritage. Still, the truth might serve him better here. "And my father was a Celestial."

"A Celestial?" Saal's eyebrows flew up.

"There are no more Celestials." Barked one of the Council members, a slightly older man who looked like he was made of skin stretched over tightly wound coils. "The last of them vanished millennia ago. Even their remains have been nearly harvested to extinction."

"It is unlikely," Saal muttered, his composure regained. "but not necessarily impossible. The universe is vast. It would explain why there was no match to his DNA when we compared it to every known source in our systems."

While he spoke, Saal had been typing something onto the tablet and now a holographic display appeared above it, looking like a miniature version of the one he had first seen on Xandaar after defeating Ronan. The other members watched with interest as Saal zoomed in and spun the DNA sequence around for all to see.

"Whatever his heritage is, it contains something-"

"Something very ancient you've never seen before?" Peter finished, cutting of the new Prime's sentence.

Saal's eyes narrowed slightly, obviously displeased at having been interrupted. Remembering that he needed this man to like him, Peter quickly continued before his sarcastic quip cost him the man's favor.

"That's what Nova Prime, the last one, told me after we defeated Ronan."

"Yes." Saal confirmed. "Ancient and unknown... and powerful. A Celestial would certainly explain your uniqueness, though it would raise a whole host of other questions. And is Thanos aware of this heritage?"

"I'm not sure." Peter answered honestly. "I don't think so, but I don't know. Nebula has a theory that he doesn't actually know who I am, since I was going by Star-lord and not Peter when I took out Ronan, and the bounties on my outlaw name are from him looking for me. That's why all the other Guardians were under his control, but I was safely on my own ship when I came here, and was only captured when I showed up at Xandar and identified myself as Star-lord. She thinks that if he finds out who I really am, he can restart the clock again, and eliminate the Guardians before we become a threat." Peter left out the part of Nebula's theory where she thought that Thanos might want him for something other than just his life's story. He didn't much understand that part himself.

"Restart the clock again?" Saal repeated, and the Council shifted nervously in their seats. "Is Thanos already in possession of the Time Stone?"

"Not that I'm aware. Nebula thinks-"

"'Nebula thinks?' You put a lot of faith into the words of a genocidal assassin." Spat one of the Council members, a severe looking woman with sharp brown eyes and deep grooves on her face that suggested she frowned a lot.

Peter stiffened and met her sneer with a glare of his own.

"I put a lot of faith in my friends." He all but growled back. "And they've earned it. If you give them a chance they could be your allies, too. Nebula, Gamora and Rocket, didn't choose to work for Thanos. They were all prisoners following orders."

"And that excuses them from the consequences of their actions?" The severe woman's hands pressed against the desk until her knuckles turned white. "Under those orders they've murdered-"

"Councilwoman Zara." Saal cut her off harshly. "This is not the time or place to debate such matters. Save it for the trial."

Councilwoman Zara whirled on the Prime, her mouth opened in a silent gasp, and for a moment the woman looked ready to snap at Saal. Seeming to remember her place just in time, she closed her mouth into a tight frown and swallowed her next words with her face screwed up as though they tasted bitter.

"The Nova Prime and Upper Council thanks you for your time and your honesty in answering our questions." Saal said, turning his steely gaze back on Peter. "We will release you for now, though we will have further questions in the future. Is there anything you wish to ask before we adjourn?"

"I want my friends released from that prison."

"No."

Peter glowered at Saal, but could tell he wasn't going to be getting that much out of him.

"Then I want to be let in with them to visit whenever I want." He used his best demanding voice and straightened his shoulders as best he could. "And I want to remove Rocket's collar and muzzle."

The Council members began to lean in like they were expecting another conference, but Saal stalled them with a wave of his hand, holding Peter's stare.

"Denerian Dey." He said, still not taking his eyes off Peter. "You were present when Peter Quill visited with the convicts. What would you have to say about their interactions."

There was a nervous cough as Dey stepped forward, but Peter refused to leave his impromptu staring contest with the new Prime.

"It was a brief exchange." Dey reported. "Only the assassins were awake. They were obviously familiar and non-hostile, but I couldn't say much else without letting them interact further."

Peter bit down the burning rush of betrayal he felt at discovering Dey and Marlowe had been meant to spy on him this whole time.

"Very well." Saal said slowly. "Since they have caused no trouble so far, you may be allowed to visit them as you please, with an escort at all times. And you may remove the muzzle, but the collar stays until Experiment 89P13 -your "Rocket"- 's fate is decided. It is much too dangerous to be allowed to remain unchecked on this ship."

Peter opened his mouth but Saal raised his voice and spoke over his protest.

"If you want to argue the point I will rescind my offer to allow you to remove the muzzle."

Peter snapped his mouth shut, but shot Saal a dirty look and muttered something under his breath that made Marlowe, who was sitting nearest to him, blush. Saal either didn't hear it, or he chose to ignore the comment.

"If we have a deal, we will adjourn for now." Saal stood and swept out of the room, not waiting for an answer. The Upper Council filtered out after him while Dey and Marlowe stepped forward.

"You were spying on me?" He accused as soon as they drew close. He knew that he was more upset with himself for not figuring that out right away and frustrated with the results of this hearing, than he was actually mad at the duo who had just been doing their jobs. That knowledge didn't stop the indignant rage he felt at being manipulated again.

"We had to make sure you weren't a danger to our operations." Marlowe said, having the grace to look just a little sorry. "There's a lot at stake here."

Peter bit back a sharp retort about him knowing the stakes better than anyone. It was the Upper Council and Saal that he was really angry with, these two were just easy targets to take his frustration out on.

"You haven't had anything to eat since you got here." Dey said, changing the subject. "Why don't we go to the mess hall and get you some breakfast?"

At the mention of food, Peter's stomach, which had been pushed the back of his mind from all the stress, woke like a bear disturbed from its sleep. It gave a low rumble and the last of Peter's anger was washed to the back of his mind as a blush covered his face. Food did sound like a good idea.

Outside of the conference room, Peter was surprised to find Kraglin and Saal discussing something at the far end of the hallway. Cosmo, back in his astronaut suit, stood at Kraglin's side, paying close attention to what the other two were saying. They were too far away for Peter to hear what was being said, but as though sensing his interest, Cosmo glanced over his shoulder and gave Peter a quick wave of his tail in greeting. A moment later Kraglin shook hands with Saal and the group broke apart. Saal vanished down the hall while Kraglin and Cosmo joined Peter and his escorts.

"Hey there, Pete'!" Kraglin greeted with a heavy pat on the shoulder that Peter struggled not to wince at. "It's good to see you up'n about. You looked like a corpse there fer a bit. We was worried we'd be sendin' you out as spacedust. You've always been a scrapper, though."

There was a sparkle in Kraglin's eyes as he spoke, excitement mixed with sorrow, likely over the crew that had been lost.

"It's good to see you, too." Peter returned the greeting with a quick pat of Kraglin's arm as well. "How's Yondu?"

"He's good. Sore as hell, but good. He came into the fight late, but made up for it aplenty. Not sure those assassins a'yours woulda made it out without his arrow to clear the path." Kraglin's hands fluttered while he spoke and a big toothy grin spilt his face. His enthusiasm was contagious and Peter let himself be swept along with the first mate's story. "Those dark soldiers had 'em pinned down so good the Nova Corps couldn't get anywhere near 'em for an extraction, then Yondu jus' leaps outa his M-ship and starts takin' 'em out from the ground. You shoulda seen it Pete', it was like the old days!"

The group had begun moving while Kraglin sang the praises of his captain, Dey and Marlowe quietly leading the way through the halls.

"In the old days," Peter laughed. "He'd be up and bragging about this story to me himself. He must be getting old if he's sending you."

Kraglin gave him a light punch to the arm but his laugh was more sedate.

"He was going to come himself, but he's got some business he couldn't get out of. The crew's a bit riled up and chompin' at the bit after that fight. He'll be around later for the trial, though."

At the mention of the trial, Peter felt the disquiet stirring in him again, but Kraglin bowled on, oblivious to Peter's reaction.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Kraglin dug around in his coat before pulling something small and achingly familiar out. "Thought you might want this back."

"My Walkman!" Peter snatched the device back with a grin so huge the side of his face ached and the cut under his eye threatened to split back open. "How did you get it?"

"After the dust had a chance to clear, we sent some a'the more anxious boys back to retrieve the Milano and the more salvageable M-ships. Gave 'em something to do other than stir up trouble on the ship. We got our work cut out repairin' the fleet, but they scavenged some bits from those sleek black ships and we're workin' on implementin' the tech into our M-ships. Whatever we can't use will sell for a nice price."

Peter thanked Kraglin and tucked the Walkman into a back pocket as the group entered the Mess Hall through wide double doors. The smell of food and clattering of plates was accompanied by the easy murmuring and occasional outburst of laughter of a happy crew.

Food seemed to be provided for free, or at least Dey and Marlowe didn't say anything about paying as they showed Peter where the trays and utensils were and how the food line worked. They chose a table in the back, where they were away from some of the rowdier groups. Even so, Peter could feel the eyes on him while he ate. They always looked away when Peter looked up, but in the moments when he'd catch them off-guard he found that while most seemed just curious, the occasional face would be set to something darker before snapping back to their food or a nearby friend when they noticed Peter's returned attention. Feeling a little unsettled, he interrupted the casual conversation about the different kinds of food offered here to question Dey.

"Don't worry about them." Dey said, but he had developed a small wrinkle on his brow that gave Peter the impression Dey wasn't taking his own advice on the matter.

"They're not mad at you, per sey." Marlowe added matter of factly. "It's just, they're not too happy about the prisoners we brought on board with you. Especially the Luphomoid, Nebula. She was there when Ronan..."

"Oh." Peter had almost forgotten, but of course Nebula had been with Ronan in this universe as she had been in his, and the Nova Corps would have known of her involvement. He'd known that, he just hadn't pieced it together yet. Feeling again like he had missed something totally obvious to everyone else, Peter took another bite of his food and chewed it slowly while he formed his next question.

"If saving all of us was part of this deal you made with Yondu, what is all this I'm hearing about a trial?" Peter asked slowly. He knew that they couldn't really be expected to just pardon his friends at the word of an exiled Ravager captain, but he wanted to gauge his chances at getting his team off this base as soon as possible. He still needed to go look for Mantis, and the clock was ticking on his deal with Gamora.

"Yondu's deal was, technically, just to save you from the battle. A technicality that they're using now to say that they're not actually going back on the deal they made by demanding justice for past crimes." Marlowe answered, straightening in her seat and folding her hands together on the table. "The whole thing happened very quickly, and I don't think anyone really believed Yondu's tale about you gathering Gamora and experiment 89P13 to your side and using the Infinity stone," Marlowe was starting to pluck at imaginary lint on her uniform's cuff, and Peter got the feeling she was among those who hadn't believed it. Peter didn't hold it against her, it was a pretty wild story. "so when we got there and found two of Thanos's daughters, not just one, and were expected to rescue them, the crew was understandably upset."

To Peter's surprise, Cosmo broke in here, his ears tipped back slightly and his eyes searching Peter's.

_Cosmo was a little awake by the time our rescue came. Nova Corps was very upset, and assassins were both injured and very hard to get to. They were considering leaving them, or killing them on-the-spot along with soldiers so they could not return to Thanos, so Cosmo made new deal. Cosmo promise them Infinity stone in exchange for safe rescue of all of Peter's crew, and raccoon, and stay of execution until Peter awoke. Cosmo was still very weak, and time was running out. Was all Cosmo could get._ Cosmo lowered his head a bit. _Cosmo apologizes. Stone was not mine to give, but Cosmo knew brother Peter would not wish to see his friends lost when he awoke._

Peter gave Cosmo a small smile, trying to convey his forgiveness and appreciation in the gesture. Honestly, Peter felt a little relieved to be rid of the stone for now. The visions of that alternate plane and sensation of something calling out to him whenever he was around it were unnerving. Imagination or not, Peter was glad to put a few walls between the magical stone and himself. Nebula would be livid, though.

"Whatever deal was made in the heat of the moment, they can't just be pardoned after everything they've done." Marlowe took control of the narrative again, looking a touch upset, and Peter wondered what her own thoughts on the prisoners were. "So, we agreed to hold a trial, in part to keep the crew from rioting or trying to seek out justice on their own. We all lost someone that day. Most of us lost everything." Marlowe's deep brown eyes flickered over towards Dey for just a moment before returning to staring at her hands. "That kind of hurt isn't going to just go away because of some deal some of the upper brass made with a crazy person who claims they can hold one of the stones."

"Besides, the Council and Nova Prime are all still relatively new to their roles. Most of our top officers were on Xandar, assisting Nova Irani, preparing the citizens for evacuation, and giving orders from the base. No one expected Ronan to have the Infinity stone. We weren't prepared for something like that. Saal was our commander in the air. We were all used to following his orders and he has a steady mind even in crisis, so it was only natural he took over as Prime. The Council is mostly the older members of the surviving Centurians. They're all still pretty new to their positions, and right now something like this could easily lead to dissent among the ranks or even outright mutiny, and that would be the end of the Nova Corps forever."

Marlowe came to a pause, waiting for Peter's reply with a touch of uncertainty in her body language. Peter stalled again, taking another unnecessarily large bite of food and chewing it slowly. The Nova Corps had given the first Guardians a full pardon before, but that was back when they had just risked life and limb, lost it, in fact, to save the Nova Empire, and proven to all of Xandar and the Nova Corps their alliance against Thanos. Peter wasn't sure how he was supposed to prove something like that if they were all locked up on this ship. The fact that Saal was the new Prime made things a lot more confusing as well. Irani Rael had been a strict, no nonsense kind of woman, but she had worked her whole life to establish the peace treaty between Xandar and the Kree empire. She believed in peace as the first and best solution, and that had helped considerably in granting him and his friends their new lease on life. Peter had only met Saal once, and while he had not disliked the man, in fact he respected him quite a bit for his sacrifice in the defense of his planet, Peter didn't actually know much about him. So far the man's tenacity and loyalty to his people had been doing Peter no favors.

"So what kind of stakes are we talking here?" Peter finally asked.

"At the best, maybe a modified imprisonment. Freedom, as long as we can keep close tabs on them, at least until they prove their loyalties one way or another."

"Okay," Peter licked his lips, not happy that this was the best case scenario as far as Marlowe thought.

"And at the worst, many of the crew and even a few Council members are still vying for some... more permanent actions."

"I thought the Nova Corps didn't do executions?" Peter said tensely. The Kyln had existed precisely because of this. Even the worst of the worst were sent to the high-security facility rather than facing the more severe punishments they might have in another Empire.

"We didn't." Marlowe answered quietly. "We still haven't, but we don't have a prison that can contain dangers to the universe at this level anymore. The ship's confinement quarters are hardly a maximum security situation, and there are those who argue that refusing capitol punishment isn't a luxury we can afford nowadays. Anyways, those are just mutterings. Nova Prime Irani's legacy won't be discarded so easily, and if you really can use the stone like you claim, you're too valuable for the Council to want to risk alienating entirely. They're furious, and worried about their positions and the stability of the Corps, but they're not stupid enough to throw away the best shot we've had since Xandar burned. Not over something as petty as revenge."

Marlowe seemed pretty certain of this, even if she was obviously uncomfortable discussing it, probably more from worry that what she was doing would be seen as aiding a potential enemy than from any real concern for his friends.

"So what do you suggest I do?" He asked.

Marlowe chewed the corner of her lip and exchanged a quick look with Dey. Like an old married couple, they seemed to communicate almost telepathically for a moment, and when she turned back she seemed more sure of herself.

"Prove to the Upper Council that you can control the assassins and Experiment 89P13. They're much more likely to release them into your custody if they believe you can keep them in line. Show them that you can use the stone like you say, and promise to aide us in our fight. The crew wants to believe in their leaders, so as long as they feel a fair choice has been made they'll follow it."

**End**

**Chapter 3 Preview:** "... _It's not a trick, buddy." Peter lowered his voice a bit, soothing, but not quite crossing over into the pity which Rocket despised so much. "I just need you to hold still and let me take this off_..."

_Peter had been slowly scooting forward as he spoke, and was almost within reach of the muzzle when he noticed something that froze him in place_..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2. Whoo! A pretty slow chapter overall, but there's a lot of setup to get out of the way here. With Xandar burned and no great deeds to back them up, Peter and the Guardians are going to have a much harder time convincing the Nova Corps that Thanos's children can be trusted. I actually really like(d) Saal. I'm not planning to make him a villain or anything, but he's definitely a bit of an opposing force for our hero's goals right now. Being suddenly put in charge of the last remains of your people can't be easy *coughThorcough*.
> 
> I had someone ask about how updates may change over the summer. Summer actually tends to be my busier season. My second job picks up in the summer months so I'll probably be back to seven days a week. The ground is dry enough to work the horses so I spend most of my free time doing that. I also have a couple vacations coming up, including Fanime at the end of this month which eats up more of my time with the prep work involved, so if anything, they might slow down a bit. Sorry. I'll try to keep them up weekly, but just a head's up now.
> 
> Thanks as always for continuing to read!
> 
> -OMaM


	3. Diamond Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter enacts his plan to remove Rocket's muzzle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GotG and characters belong to Marvel, this is a fanwork for entertainment purposes only.
> 
> Title is from "Diamond Eyes" by Shinedown. I've had this song picked out as one of Rocket's theme songs since long before I started writing Astronautical, and I was happy to finally get to include it.

Prove that he could control Nebula, Gamora and Rocket? Peter had no clue how he was supposed to do that. Mostly because, well, he actually couldn't. Begging, bartering, and shaming them into doing what was necessary was more accurate, but that probably wasn't the kind of thing the Nova Corps had in mind. And since coming to this alternate universe, he was pretty sure Nebula had been the one giving him orders more that the other way around.

Still, Marlowe's suggestion made sense. It was their best chance, as long as he could get the others to play along for now. The trick would be convincing them without words, since he was to be under supervision during his visits. Plus, even if he had been able to outline his plan plainly, he had no clue how Rocket would take to it, even for the sake of his eventual freedom. The best place Peter could think to start was to finally remove that d'asted muzzle, and prove to Rocket that he was here to help him.

As soon as breakfast was finished and cleared away, Peter made his intentions about removing the muzzle as quickly as possible clear. Marlowe left to request the controller which, it turned out, was in the Nova Corps's possession much to Peter's chagrin. She had dismissed his protest that they wouldn't need it with a hard look that reminded him of the last Nova Prime.

"Until you prove that he's not a danger to the crew he will be treated as such." She had said as she cleared her tray away. "He's classified as one of the most dangerous weapons in the known galaxies, and while I want to believe you and sincerely hope you're right about your friends wanting to leave Thanos, we still don't know if this is somehow a trap set up to sneak his agents inside."

She had vanished with her tray and dishes before Peter could turn the ball of rage in his gut into an articulate protest at having Rocket so casually referred to as a weapon.

Once the rest of the group finished clearing their own trays away, Dey escorted Peter and Cosmo back towards the confinement quarters. Kraglin had declined to join them, heading instead back to the Eclector.

Peter was still stiff, and Cosmo was heavily favoring his left side, so by the time they made it to their destination, Marlowe was already waiting for them in the hallway outside. She had the small black square held up in one hand for him to see, but when Peter reached out for it she pulled it away.

"I'm under strict orders not to give it to you." She explained in lieu of an apology.

"Can I at least have your word you won't use it?" Peter asked. It would do him no favors if Marlowe panicked and used it while Peter was struggling to build some sort of trust with Rocket.

 _Cosmo will be here._ Cosmo added before Marlowe could answer. _If anything happens, please allow Cosmo to use powers before resorting to controller._

"Only a moment." Marlowe promised. Despite her harsh tone, Peter thought she looked a little relieved at the thought of not having to use it.

While they'd been talking Dey had opened the door to the Containment Chambers and they entered as a group now. Inside, not much had changed since his visit the night before. Gamora and Nebula were still on their own sides of the room, but this time Gamora was busy doing push ups in the open space next to her bed. Nebula, having apparently exhausted the small number of books they'd been supplied, was on the floor as well. Where Gamora was busy exercising, Nebula lay on her back in the space next to her own bed with her feet propped up against the wall, counting tiles in the ceiling.

At their entrance, Nebula rolled to her feet with an ease and grace that made it clear she had healed from the worst of her injuries. Gamora paused in her push ups long enough to regard the new arrivals, then continued on, her lips moving silently as she kept count.

"Hey guys." Peter offered with a wave. "You look... good."

Nebula, not one for small talk or niceties in the best of circumstances, crossed her arms and cut straight to the point.

"What are you doing here?"

"Nova Prime Saal agreed to let me remove Rocket's muzzle." Peter explained.

At his words, Gamora stopped her workout entirely and rose to her feet as well. She didn't say anything, but Peter could see an expression he knew quite well on her face, and knew that, had they not been joined by the Nova Corpsmen, she would be informing Peter that this was the most idiotic idea she'd ever heard. Nebula seemed to agree with her sister's line of thought, but was obviously much less surprised by Peter's decision. She just offered him a noncommittal twitch of her lips as he made his way to Rocket's door which Dey was in the process of opening.

Rocket was still in the closest thing to a dark corner one could hope to find in a room made mostly out of glass walls. He'd been curled up again with his back to the room -or maybe he just hadn't moved since Peter had seen him last- but at the sound of the door opening he whipped around to face the intruders with alarming speed. There was nothing surprising about Rocket's feeling towards what must be, to him, just his newest captors. What was disconcerting to Peter was to see that Rocket hadn't stood at their entrance, but had remained with his belly to the ground in a sort of half-crouch that made him look more like a wild animal than Peter had ever seen him. The scene wasn't helped by the way his tail and the small amount of hair visible along his neck had puffed out, and a muffled but definite growl was rumbling from deep in his throat.

"Hey Rocket." Peter said, crouching down and holding both hands out to prove he had nothing in them. "Don't worry. I'm just here to take that thing off your face, Okay?"

Rocket's only response was to hunker further back into his corner.

Suddenly Peter was having second thoughts about how this would go. He'd kind of figured that as soon as he explained what he was here for, Rocket would be glad to be rid of the muzzle. Now he wasn't so sure Rocket could even be convinced to hear him out. Marlowe and Dey were being helpful so far, but he knew that everything they saw would be reported back to their superiors. If he couldn't convince Rocket to be at least somewhat civil, it would seriously hurt his chances of getting his friends let out of here any time soon.

"It's not a trick, buddy." Peter lowered his voice a bit, soothing, but not quite crossing into pity which he knew Rocket despised so much. "I just need you to hold still and let me take this-"

Peter had been slowly scooting forward as he spoke, and was almost within reach of the muzzle when he noticed something that froze him in place. So far, he'd only really seen Rocket twice in this universe. Once on Half-world, where the bright lights and deep shadows had caused strange reflections in his friend's eyes, and once on Traxxon III where the atmosphere had tainted everything in the same ruddy glow. He hadn't questioned it at the time, but now, under the cool clear lights up the Nova Corps ships, Rocket's eyes somehow appeared to be stained red, as though the rest of him had been rescued, but his eyes still reflected the harsh lights of the battlefield.

For a second he thought that Rocket might have suffered a similar injury to the one that had caused Peter's own left eye to be flooded with blood, but while only the white's of Peter's eyes were stained, this red was inside of the iris and too uniform to be from any injury. Even more concerning was that the red seemed to have spilled over his pupil as well. It was still markedly darker than his Iris, but the pupil wasn't a pure black. Was Rocket blind? That didn't make any sense. He had been aiming as clearly as ever. The faint scar still fading on Drax's neck was proof enough of that. But even as Peter assured himself of this, he noticed that the eyes staring back at him did look just a little bit unfocused, and the pupils were oddly wide for how bright it was in here.

While Peter contemplated whether or not he was just imagining that unfocused look, the eyes suddenly changed. Changed was all Peter could think to describe it as his brain had no way to account for the way that one moment the eyes staring back at him had been a deep ruby and the next, like the shutter of a camera lens, they were taken over with a blue tint.

Peter gave a startled yelp and fell back on his butt.

"What was that!?" He gasped when he had blinked a few times and the eyes staring back at him remained that strange new shade of brown over-laid with blue.

"They're just his lenses." Nebula's voice supplied from close behind him, muffled just slightly through the thick glass.

"His what?"

" _Lenses_." Nebula repeated, like she thought he must have misheard the word. "Like your mask. So he can see better in the dark and detect security lines."

Peter turned his head slowly to stare up at Nebula who had moved over to stand next to the wall that split the rooms.

"They're inside his eyes!" He gasped.

"Yes." Nebula said, scrunching her eyebrows together and tilting her head as she stared down at him.

"Inside." Peter stressed, when she just stared at him like he was the strange one.

"It's more efficient." Nebula shrugged down, then, seeming to take pity on him, or maybe just thinking he was actually too dumb to understand what she meant, she reached up with one hand and ran it along the implant under her left eye. At her touch, the seams of the implant lit up with a soft teal glow, and a faint holo-screen formed over her eye.

"A Prototype." She explained, quiet enough that it was probably not intended for Dey and Marlowe to hear. "One of Half-world's earlier attempts at implanted ocular augmentations. They were trying to adapt it to my existing implants. 'Rocket''s are a later model, built into his eyes more directly."

"It's just internalized lighting and a modified lens that can change its crystalline structure to affect how it refracts and absorbs light. It should be a direct translation, so I doubt he had to have any internalized adapters to help process the information."

Peter blinked up at her as he tried to sort through the slew of words. He understood them all, but together they made no sense, or at least he really didn't want to make sense of them. Not for the first time, he wondered how deep the changes in his best friend would run.

While they'd been talking, the steady hum of Rocket's growls had faded slightly, but when Peter turned back to study his friend's eyes with this new knowledge, the volume rose again.

"You should wait until-"

"No." Peter cut her off harshly. Then, softer he added. "No, I'm removing that muzzle. Now." The reminder of just how terribly Rocket had been treated in this universe had just reaffirmed his need to get rid of the hold Thanos had over him. The muzzle, then the collar, then whatever damage had been done to his friend's mind.

With slow deliberate movements Peter rolled back into his crouch and reached for the muzzle once more. The growling grew even louder, but Rocket had run out of space to retreat. As his fingers brushed against the smooth metal surface Peter was all too aware of how close he was to the raccoonoid's nails. He'd felt them enough times when being used as a vantage-point for his shorter companion during battles, and had to mend enough tears in his tough leather jackets to learn to respect the damage they could do even when he was being intentionally gentle. Peter really didn't want to know what they could do if Rocket decided to stop being gentle with them.

But Rocket, either having finally understood what Peter was doing, or frozen in indecision, didn't lash out and Peter's fingers made it to the straps of the muzzle undamaged. The eyes staring back at him were stretched so wide Peter could see the ring of white around the edges, and flickered back and forth between the red, blue, and normal brown hues in a nonsensical and dizzying fashion. Peter forced himself to stop looking at those flickering eyes and focus instead on the muzzle, working his fingers slowly down the strap.

Here he discovered another terrible surprise. As his fingers followed the metal strip across Rocket's cheeks, and under his eyes, he lost track of the strap in the mess of longer fur along his jaw. A memory rose of crawling across the battlefield and grasping the straps there only to lose them just like he was now. He had thought he was just too dizzy, his fingers too numb and unresponsive when he had lost those straps in the long fur. There was no similar excuse here, and yet, the straps slipped from his fingers every time, vanishing among the fluff. Hesitantly, Peter scooted just a bit closer and reached around Rocket's head, hoping maybe he could find the strap back there and either find the clasp from the other direction, or try to pull it over his head. But there was no strap.

With a new sinking suspicion Peter brought his trembling fingers back to the straps and carefully traced the edges and felt his stomach dip when he found the edges. At first they felt like they connected to nothing, but a very gentle experimental tug revealed that the muzzle straps were somehow anchored directly to Rocket's skull. At the movement, Rocket's growling grew louder again and a faint but definite trembling was taking over his body with the effort.

Pulling his hands back, Peter took another glance over his shoulder. Nebula was leaning with her shoulder against the wall now, and was staring down at him with an unreadable expression. He had so many questions that none of them came out and he was just left staring up at her in a silent plea for help.

Nebula sucked in one long slow breath before exhaling through her nose and seeming to give up on whatever warning she was trying to communicate.

"You need the controller. It's a code."

"What's the code?" Peter asked, finding his voice.

"I don't know. I never worked with him much, and they probably changed the codes after I defected to be safe." As she spoke, her gaze flickered subtly towards Gamora who was watching but had remained silent so far.

"Gamora?" He asked, leaning so he could see more clearly.

"I know the codes." Gamora admitted, stepping towards the door of her cell where she could be nearest the Nova Corpsmen. It took a moment to explain how the buttons worked and what order to use them in. Gamora's explanation was curt and almost robotic as she spoke to Marlowe through the prison wall, and Marlowe's responses were icy and businesslike at best. Cosmo and Dey watched on in mute interest.

"I think we've got it." Marlowe finally said.

Rocket's growls which had been a steady backdrop to everything had faded back into a nearly inaudible tone while they had been focusing on the remote. His eyes were still huge and wavering slightly like they couldn't quite decide where exactly Peter was, and his limbs were all tense as a bowstring ready to snap. As Peter reached for the straps once more, sliding a pair of little switches that Gamora had mentioned, however, the raccoon remained oddly calm. Peter took this as a good sign, maybe he was finally calming down and realizing what they were here to do.

"You're going to get bit." Nebula's warning was low, but it still made Peter who had been so focused on Rocket, jump a bit and Rocket flinched in response. Feeling his patience running out for her needling, he gave the muzzle another little tug and was overjoyed to feel it move this time.

"He's not going to-SON OF A FLARKING BITCH!" Peter howled. With lightning speed, almost before the muzzle had been slid entirely off his face, Rocket had snapped down on Peter's arm. He hadn't bit and held, thankfully, but, like a furious snake, had struck him at least three times before Peter was able to yank himself away and leap back. Peter stared in horror at Rocket, who was still pressed into the corner like a wild animal, his lips peeled back and Peter's blood flecked across his lips.

"What-?" Peter gaped. There was a wierd foamy drool at the corners of Rocket's mouth which dribbled onto the floor below and smeared into his fur as he struggled to somehow work himself even further into the darkness. "What's wrong with him?"

"It's the withdrawl." Nebula answered, still leaning casually against the wall that was directly across from him now. "I doubt he even knows where he is or what's going on."

"Withdrawl?" Peter asked, willing his breathing to slow back down.

"Another tool my father uses to control his... people. A potent drug that doesn't have a strong effect on the mind when used, but it's highly addictive. Going through withdrawal is like being lit on fire from the inside out. It eats away your mind and your will so even if you do try to escape, it'll drive you back before you're even aware you've done it."

"And you couldn't tell me this earlier?" Peter snapped. Any trace of humor and patience dropped from her face and Nebula narrowed her eyes dangerously. Peter pressed his lips together and dropped his eyes in an almost immediate apology. She had been trying to warn him, he just hadn't wanted to listen. It probably wouldn't have stopped him if he had known.

"Will he be okay?" Peter asked, trying to move away from the awkward silence.

Some of the tension in Nebula's body relaxed, but he could tell she was still upset with him.

"The withdrawal is a tricky process, more so with this drug than most. For now, it's best to let him be. He can injure himself fighting if you insist on harassing him. In a day or so when he's over the worst of it, if he gets over the worst of it, he'll be more aware of what's going on and need lots of water and food. Right now anything you gave him would be more likely to cause harm than good."

"If he gets over it?" Peter's heart was slowing to a more normal rate.

"It's very hard on the body. Not everyone survives it." Nebula said, her gaze sliding from Peter down to where Rocket was still hissing in the corner. "My father used it as a sort of right of passage when his children transitioned from training to assassin. You're friend Rocket isn't considered one of his children, so he never went through the process."

Peter wondered if this meant that Nebula and Gamora had gone through this. Maybe not this Gamora, who had been controlled through other methods, but probably Nebula, and maybe his own Gamora. Now wasn't the time to ask, though, so Peter resolved to hold his questions until after all of this was over and they could have some privacy.

With the reminder of their chaperons, Peter turned to steal a glance at Dey and Marlowe. The pair were looking a bit uncomfortable, the unmistakable tint of unwanted sympathy just visible under their more trained expressions. With a jolt, Peter wondered if Nebula's speech was for more than just his own benefit. It was the most words Peter had heard her say since coming here, and unlike her hissed warnings, she'd said it loud enough for everyone to hear clearly, even if she'd only been looking at Peter while she spoke. It was easy to forget, with how awkward she was with her own emotions, that she was still a very skilled assassin, and could be very good at manipulating people if she wanted to.

-x-

After the muzzle had been removed and the assassins had confirmed that the best medicine they could give Rocket right now was peace and quiet, the visitors dispersed. Marlowe left to return the controller, and probably to report on what she had learned, and Cosmo, Peter, and Dey left to stop by the medical bay to tend to his bites. His arm wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. Whether through deliberate thought, or just random chance, Rocket had attacked the wrist that was already covered in a hard cast. The cast had been reduced to splintered threads, a terrifying testament to how powerful those jaws were, but it had buffered the worst of the bites. Another small blessing was that Rocket hadn't had the presence of mind to rip or tear, so the dozen or so places where his teeth had made contact were just perfect round punctures that went straight in and straight out. He'd have some serious bruising, and Dey insisted on giving him a shot of antibiotics after scrubbing his arm with near-boiling water to be safe, but the damage could have been a lot worse.

"Our medical equipment isn't what it used to be on Xandar," Dey said, as he inspected Peter's broken finger with a small scanner. "but it's still one of the best in the known galaxies. Your finger's making good progress, so I'm just going to splint it and give you a soft wrap. It wasn't a big break, and you should be out of the wrap in a couple of days."

"That's good." Peter said as Dey pulled out the supplies to start wrapping his hand. He had just regained use of that hand again, and wasn't looking forward to another bout of letting other people steer his ship and fumbling with other mundane tasks. "Thanks for helping me remove the muzzle by the way."

"You're welcome." Dey said with a quirk to his lips as he worked over Peter's arm with steady hands. "To be honest, we were all hoping you would be able to do it when you woke up." At Peter's surprised look, Dey gave a smile that was comforting as much as it was apologetic. "As far as we could tell, he couldn't eat or drink with that thing on, and regardless of how the trial goes, we couldn't just let him waste away of neglect. We were trying to figure out how to get it removed without risking the crew's safety or his escape when Drax suggested you would want to do it when you were awake. Seeing how it went, I'm glad we did."

"I'm sorry." He continued. "I know it must feel like we're trying to trick you at every corner, but we're just doing our best to figure this all out. The thought of Thanos being able to turn back time is not a pleasant one, and I think it has everyone on edge."

"I know." Peter snorted. "Believe me, I know."

"It's like everything changed when you came on board. For the first time in a long time, we have hope, and at the same time, it feels more hopeless than ever." Dey finished his work on Peter's wrap as he spoke, giving it a final pat to ensure it was all laying flat and released his arm.

Cosmo, who was lounging on a pile of pillows that had been set on the floor for him, raised his head to join in the conversation.

_Cosmo understands that this comes as big change, and change is never easy, even more so in large groups such as this, but time is being wasted here. We should be focusing on fixing future, not dredging up mistakes of the past which are already regretted. Why dig up old bones and wear your teeth out chewing on them when there is bigger prey to hunt?_

Dey blinked down at the dog, as though sorting through the dogs words for his meaning before answering.

"You should bring that up at the trial." He finally said.

 _Has there been any news on when that might be?_ Cosmo asked.

"Nothing worth sharing." Dey sighed. When Peter and Cosmo both stared back in silence he added. "I'm not lying to you, I swear. Most of the Upper Council wants to have it as soon as possible. Get it over with and decide what to do with your friends before they figure out how to break out or something. Saal, Nova Prime I mean, and a couple of the council members feel like we still don't have enough information to make a proper decision, so I really don't know. If there was any way to verify what you're saying, that might be helpful..."

As Dey trailed to an end he looked up at Peter hopefully.

Peter chewed his lip and fiddled with his new arm wrap. Even if he wasn't so disturbed by the Infinity Stone as of late and was willing to come in contact with it, he didn't think the Guardians were in any condition to be using it. Gamora was still only neutral about him, at best, and Rocket was out of his mind at the moment with no way of telling where he'd land in terms of loyalty once he woke up. With just Drax and maybe Groot he might survive the experience, but he really didn't want to find out the hard way.

As he considered his possibilities a new thought came to him. It started as a just a blip in the darkness, so faint and flickering that it seemed to vanish when he focused on it too hard.

"You said they needed proof of my story...?" Peter ventured, speaking out loud in hopes of coaxing the thought to grow.

"Yes." Dey said, perking up slightly. "Do you have any?"

Cosmo had also perked up, staring intently as Peter through those bright thoughtful eyes as though he could see the thought forming as well.

"I don't think I can give you proof of wielding the stone just yet. It would be too dangerous, but... What if I could prove the part about my heritage? What if I could prove I'm half-Celestial and that they're not all extinct?"

"How would you do that?" Dey asked. "We know your DNA is different, but with nothing to compare it against..."

"But what if I could _give_ you something to compare it against? What if I could show you the last living Celestial? Would that prove enough of my story for now?" The words were rushing out of him as the plan unfolded before him. He could find Ego and with the help of the Nova Corps retrieve Mantis without having to wait for all this trial nonsense first. It would be dangerous, but if it came to a fight he'd have a much better chance of saving Mantis with the help of the Nova Corps than he and his friends would alone, especially now that they didn't even have a ship. And after seeing Ego use his powers, the Nova Corps wouldn't be able to deny what he was. With that as a sort of proof of his heritage and potential power he was sure they'd be a lot more eager for his help, and he'd have a lot more influence over the release of his teammates.

Plus, in the worst case scenario that the trial somehow went horribly wrong and he and his friends needed to make a fast exit, it would be nice to have retrieved Mantis first.

"That might work." Dey said. A nervous look crossed his face, mingling with the excitement, as he seemed to realize what meeting a Celestial might mean.

"How soon can I get a meeting with the Nova Prime?" Peter hopped off the bed with a renewed energy.

Dey glanced at a small screen on his wrist with a thoughtful look.

"I'll talk to Marlowe. She's been working as Saal's assistant now, since she knows the job better than anyone, so she has a better idea than I do of his schedule. I think he'll make time for something like this though. Where can I find you later?"

 _We will go back and join comrades Drax and Groot in barracks._ Cosmo answered for them both. _We will leave word if we move before you find us._

**End**

**Chapter 4 Preview:** "... _We had a request to make. It couldn't wait."_

_"What kind of request?" Kraglin asked._

_Peter opened his mouth to respond when he caught sight of Yondu coming over to join them._

_"Actually, it might be best if you guys stuck around and listened as well..."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because someone will probably ask, Rocket can speak. and he's not going to be 'animalistic' all the time. He's just, basically, high as a kite right now and completely out of it.
> 
> Rocket, in my opinion, got the shortest end of the stick here of all the Guardians (but doesn't he always?). The changing eye colors is both a nod towards the fact that in the comics his eyes are often an unnatural red, and I think in a couple they were outright cybernetic, but I can't swear to that one it's been a while. It's also loosely inspired by a fan-comic I found forever ago that someone made after they found some reference to Rocket having blue contacts. There was never an explanation to what or why, but I thought it was funny and it got me thinking about other cybernetic enhancements which would eventually lead to some of the original inspirations for this story as a whole, so I had to keep them included in there somewhere. xD
> 
> Peter will probably realize in retrospect that he should have at least asked Groot to help. It wouldn't have changed anything, but at least Groot can handle being bit with less issue. Peter's still a bit impulsive, especially when he's worried and exhausted, despite his resolution to be more careful in the end of the last book. He is trying, but change takes time. The decision to change is only the first step(I think, to a degree, Peter is also subconsciously more accustomed to protecting Groot than relying on him, since he only had adult Groot for one or two days, and has since been raising a twig.). So this is yet another lesson for him, to stop letting his emotions make all his decisions for him and to stop and listen to his teammates more. Hopefully it'll stick a little better this time.
> 
> -OMaM


	4. Life as a Salesman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from 'Life as a Salesman' by Yellowcard. It's a song about fathers and thought it fit the changing relationship between Yondu and Peter.
> 
> Sorry this chapter was a bit late. I've been busy getting ready for vacation, and dealing with some internet issues (My provider changed and they can't seem to find my account. lol.), and just to warn, I'm not sure if I'll have the next one up on time. I'll be at FanimeCon next week and don't know if I'll have any time to write. 
> 
> I own nothing, story and characters belong to Marvel.

Saal didn't have time to see them right away. The lunch hour had come and passed, and it was nearing what might have been an early dinner time when Dey finally made another appearance. Peter had been so excited at the prospect of getting Mantis back that he could hardly sit still and his antsy pacing had quickly got on the nerves of his room mates and seen him confined to the top bunk over Cosmo's. He was reclined on the bed with his headphones on, working over his pitch in his head when the sound of someone knocking on the door caught his attention.

"I got it!" Peter called, springing from his bed and over to the door before the other's could get up.

When the door slid open, Dey was standing outside in full uniform.

"Hi." He said with that awkward smile that Peter thought was growing a little warmer every time. "The Nova Prime and Council will see you now, as soon as you're ready."

"Yes, awesome." Peter grinned. "Let's go!"

-x-

While they had been waiting for news Peter had explained the basics of his plan to Drax and Groot, and they had agreed to join him to support his request. Apparently, after everything else that had happened these past couple weeks, finding out Peter was half Celestial and that they were off to visit his father wasn't that big of a stretch. Or maybe they were humoring his new level of supposed insanity.

Honestly, Drax's ready acceptance of this new claim worried Peter just a little bit. He'd been very quiet since the battle, and Peter was suspicious it had something to do with being very soundly beaten by Ronan and failing to achieve his revenge. Peter tried not to worry about it too much, which was almost too easy with all the other things occupying his mind right now. One way or another, Drax would get his revenge in the end. He'd come around on his own soon enough.

"They're just getting out of their last meeting so it'll be a minute or two." Dey apologized as they stood in the hallway outside of the door to the room Peter's hearing had been held in that morning.

"Yeah, no problem." Peter said, but he couldn't help the way he bounced on his heels in anticipation. The wait was as short as promised, and that was a blessing as his fidgeting was obviously getting on Drax's nerves again. He was only saved from what would have been either a hard slap or a stinging rebuke by the sound of the door finally opening and several Nova Corpsmen that Peter didn't recognize spilling out, still heavy in conversation with each other. When the small stream came to an end, Peter trotted inside, not waiting for Dey to announce their presence.

"Yondu!?" Peter shouted when he saw his old captain leaning with his hands on the raised desk, looking deep in conversation with Saal. Kraglin was standing at Yondu's side and answered first.

"Pete'! What are you doing here?" Kraglin broke off from Yondu to greet Peter while Yondu seemed to be wrapping up his conversation quickly.

"We had a request to make. It couldn't wait."

"What kind of request?" Kraglin asked.

Peter opened his mouth to respond when he caught sight of Yondu coming over to join them.

"Actually, it might be best if you guys stuck around and listened as well." He said. It would be obvious to Yondu soon enough that Peter was much more aware than he should be about his father. He might as well admit to it now, and hopefully Yondu could even provide some backup to his claims if needed.

By the time greetings had been exchanged, Saal had finished whatever he had been doing and Dey indicated some chairs for them to pull out and arrange as they pleased.

"So, Star-lord," Saal began, resting his chin lightly on a shelf of his folded hands as he stared down at the group from behind the polished desk. Peter thought he looked a bit tired, and hoped that wasn't going to work against him. "What is this important request of yours?"

"The truth is, I didn't give you the whole story this morning." Peter started, sitting st straight as he could manage and keeping his voice clear and level. "I wasn't trying to hide anything, it just didn't seem important for what you wanted to know, but it is now. I'm still missing a teammate, a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy. She's an empath named Mantis, and while I know where she is, I think I'll need some help retrieving her. My request is your help in doing that. In exchange, I can provide proof of my heritage. Proof that I can use the Infinity stone, and maybe even more."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"Because she's with my father, a Celestial. If you promise to help me retrieve Mantis, I can give the the co-ordinates of his planet and you can see for yourself that they're not all dead." Peter resisted adding that he kind of wished they were.

"And why didn't we hear about this convenient proof of yours earlier?" Saal asked, his eyes narrowed in obvious suspicion.

"Because..." Peter couldn't help the glance at Yondu. "It didn't end so well the last time I went there. I don't know how it's going to go now, so I'd rather not go in without some backup. I think this could work out for both of us, and," Peter took a deep breath and steadied himself. "For someone who claims they want my help in the future, you haven't done anything so far to earn it."

To Saal's credit, he neither balked nor shouted at Peter's sudden challenge. Instead, a cold thoughtful expression crossed his face, like he was seeing Peter for the first time.

"If it wasn't for the Nova Corps' intervention you and your crew would be deceased or under the hand of Thanos as we speak." Saal reminded him coolly.

"And I'm grateful for that, but you were paying off an existing debt. The way I see it, I owe you nothing the way it stands now."

Saal's eyes narrowed further, the corners of his mouth pinching in a tight frown.

"Look, I'm not a complete dick, and I do want to help you. I had friends on Xandar. I knew a lot of the Nova Corps personally, and I want to go home. Unfortunately, the only way back is through Thanos, and we'd all have a much better shot at doing that together. Nebula and Gamora know more about Thanos's army than any spy network could ever hope to learn, and you have them locked up. You keep talking like you expect me to pick up that stone and fight for you, but all you've done is imprison my friends and threaten them. If you really want my help, this needs to end."

"And if I refuse?" Saal asked. "If I remind you that if you feel you need persuading, there may be ways that are far less pleasant, for you or your friends?"

Peter didn't honestly think Saal had it in him to follow through with that threat, more likely, he was testing out how easily Peter could be intimidated. But Peter had learned long ago that people could do surprising things when they were desperate, and the last remains of the Nova Corps were definitely desperate.

"Then I think you'll find two galaxy class assassins, a maniac, a collosus, and a raccoon that had escaped twenty-two prisons by the time I met him, are a lot harder to handle when they stop cooperating. And I can be quite the pain in the ass, too. I can't make you any promises about wielding the stone for you yet, but I can promise you this; If any harm comes to my friends, you will regret it."

From the corner of his eye, Peter could see a smug smile gracing Yondu's face. The ravager captain was clearly enjoying the show. Before, Peter might have thought he was simply laughing at Saal's expense or reveling in the fact that a ravager was back-talking a Nova Officer. Now, Peter thought he recognized the same glint of pride that had been there when Peter had first learned to shoot.

In the pause that followed Peter's proclamation, Saal had been studying Peter with stone-faced silence. Peter didn't think he looked like he was going to start ordering executions right then and there, but he definitely didn't look happy. Slowly, his eyes slid away from Peter, sweeping across the room to include the rest of the assembly. It wouldn't be lost to him that Peter's allies included more than just the motley crew on-deck. If it came down to it, the entire Ravager fleet and the guards of Knowhere might side against the Nova Corps, and Peter didn't think those were the kinds of bridges the crippled fleet could afford to burn right now. A smile was warring with Peter's face as he felt himself taking some power back, but he fought it down. Now wasn't the time to push the Nova Prime any further.

When the silence had stretched on for so long that Peter's palms were beginning to sweat and he was growing more and more certain that he had made a mistake after all, Saal finally leaned back in his seat, a layer of tension seeming to melt from his frame, replaced with what Peter hoped was resignation.

"I think you have raised a few interesting points." His tone was flat and impossible to read. "I will consider your proposal, and bring it up with the Upper Council for discussion. For now, why don't you and your friend's go have dinner."

The pretty words did little to change the fact that they were being kicked out. It wasn't the first time Peter had been kicked out of a court of some sort, but this may have been the most grace he'd ever managed to do it with. He stood and walked with a deliberate lack of hurry towards the exit.

"Thank you for your time." He added before stepping out into the hallway. It hadn't been a complete success, but Peter couldn't help feeling that he had managed to some how raise himself in Saal's estimation. Hopefully the new Nova Prime would start to deal with him as a person now, and not some rescued invalid or handy weapon to be used.

-x-

"You always had a mouth on ya, boy, but it's good t'finally see you grow a pair!" Yondu laughed over their dinner trays. The captain had been in an uproarious mood since leaving the meeting. His loud laughter was drawing the attention of some of the Nova crewmen taking their meals in the cafeteria at the same time.

Peter was picking at his own meal. Pushing the bits around more than actually eating.

"Yeah, well, hopefully I didn't piss him off enough to take it out on all of us."

"You damaged his pride and undermined his authority." Yondu told him. "He'll have to do somethin' to regain the pride you pissed all over, but none a'those stuffy Upper Council members were present, and those two soldiers that have been playing babysitter for you are too loyal to be swayed over something like this. So whatever he does, he won't want to make a big show of it, or someone might start askin' questions about something he'd rather keep quiet."

It was weird having Yondu talk so openly to him about politics as a leader, and Peter wondered if he had inadvertently earned some respect in Yondu's eyes as well.

"Now why don't you tell me the whole story about you meetin' your dad?" The humor evaporated from Yondu's face like mist under a hot sun.

"It's a long story," Peter warned, giving up all pretense of feigning interested in his meal. "and you're not going to like it."

"Quit stallin' boy."

Peter resisted the first retort to rise to his lips. Whatever esteem he'd just managed to gain wasn't worth losing over acting like a child just because he was uncomfortable with what he had to say. So without further ado, he launched into the tale. He was still unclear about some of the details of what happened on the Eclector and between his teammates when he was busy being hooked up to the light, but he gave the best report he could. Nobody asked any questions, and Yondu's face remained thoughtful and impassive even as Peter described the mutiny and his own death. At his side, Kraglin was growing more alarmed with every twist the tale took, and by the end was visibly struggling not to squirm in his seat.

"So..." Yondu was the first to break the silence after Peter's story had wound to an end. His voice was steady despite the incriminating wetness that had formed in his eyes at the description of the ravager funeral and the colors of Ogord. "This Nebula bitch actually managed to take me out and usurp my whole ship, huh?"

Peter froze in his seat, suddenly realizing that he may have just damned his friend in the eyes of one of the very few people in the entire universe who may have been inclined to help her.

Yondu let out a burst of laughter so loud and sudden Kraglin actually startled at his side.

"I knew there was somethin' about her I liked!" The captain howled, slamming one hand on the table for emphasis. Kraglin's eyebrows had raised so high, they were beginning to vanish into his hairline again. "She's got guts, I'll give 'er that. No wonder you've been so full of it lately! She's a good influence on you."

Kraglin was staring at his captain sideways with a mixture of worry and something a touch sadder. He looked about as much at a loss for words as Peter was feeling. Yondu was obviously zeroing in on that part of the story to avoid a discussion of his own death and subsequent funeral. Well, Peter had expected as much, and could let Yondu keep his pride. He followed his ex-captain's lead and moved on to another subject.

"Yeah, well. Ego may have died in my universe, but here he's apparently alive and well, and the chances are very good that he'll remember us killing him. I'm not too keen on my odds at getting Mantis back, but I can't just leave her there."

"You always were a bleedin' heart." Yondu said, the laughter dying back to just a humorous glint in his eyes. "Never could beat that outta you. It sounds like this Mantis was doing just fine 'fore you came along. Who's t'say she won't be fine now? She won't remember any of that nonsense from before, so for all you know she's carrying on content as she ever was."

Peter stirred his food again and let them lapse back into silence. It wasn't like he hadn't considered that possibility. After all, hadn't she referred to herself as 'a flea with a purpose' when questioned about her presence on Ego's planet. So far, hope hadn't bought him much in this new universe except disappointment and betrayal, so he wasn't holding his breath. He was already worried that he might be overly optimistic in the thought of finding her alive at all.

"Are you wantin' us to help you when the time comes?" Kraglin broke the silence of Peter's thoughts. His words were bold and steady, but a darting glance at his captain gave away the fear that Peter felt mirrored in his own heart.

"No. At least, not at first. I think having you around might make him even angrier, and I'm hoping to delay fighting until I at least know if Mantis is alive. I just have no clue how to find that out without walking straight into a trap."

Drax surprised him here by clearing his throat and speaking for the first time since before the meeting.

"Perhaps it is time to consult the rest of our team. If it is sneaking and trickery you want, then the assassins would be better equipped to help you plan."

That wasn't a bad idea at all. And Peter would like the excuse to check back in on Rocket while he was at it. It had only been about half a cycle since he'd seen him last, but the day's events made it feel indefinitely longer. He echoed these thoughts to his friends and found they were all in some sort of agreement that this would be the best course of action. Kraglin and Yondu again decided to split. Apparently, the meeting Peter had cut short was some sort of negotiation about the Ravagers smuggling supplies to the Nova Corps who were finding it increasingly difficult to lay low as Thanos's forces spread his influence and control. Now the Captain and first mate needed to go work out the best routes and consult their own supply lines and contacts.

That just left the issue of finding an escort as per his deal with the Nova Council. Having to ask permission and have a chaperon just to see his friends was frustrating, but maybe seeing for themselves how helpful Gamora and Nebula -and maybe Rocket, though Peter didn't get his hopes too high- were, it would help their case. So Peter rose and carried his tray to the proper receptacle, watching the faces and movements of the Nova Crewmen from the corners of his eyes as he passed. When he located one that seemed to be both interested and friendly, Peter paused by his side on his way back to his seat.

"Hey there," Peter greeted him – a fair-skinned youth with a face that looked too innocent to be the survivor of a genocide, and a smattering of pale freckles across the bridge of his nose- with his best, most charming smile. "If I wanted to get a message to Dey or Marlowe, how would I go about doing that?"

The message network here turned out to be pretty archaic. Other than ship-wide alerts and emergencies, most messages were carried by foot. Fortunately, Corpsman Faodail was more than willing to help them. The Corpsman led them down the hallways to Marlowe's office with such enthusiastic energy that Peter found himself struggling to force his battered body to keep up and hardly had breath to answer the myriad of questions he was assaulted with. Peter didn't think any of his report was precisely classified information – Marlowe and Dey had both talked like the crew already knew most of it – so he did his best to answer honestly. Cosmo quickly took pity on him and began to answer the questions he could and soon enough Faodail was peppering the psychic dog with his seemingly endless questions instead.

Marlowe's office turned out to be empty. Peter wasn't too surprised, she was probably still busy with Saal and the Council, going over Peter's request, he hoped, but Faodail had been so distraught at having brought them all this way to end in his perceived failure that he took some time to reassure no one was upset. They just left a note in common with their request, and for Marlowe or Dey to come find them whenever they were free, and headed back to their barracks. Faodail offered to show them to one of the recreation or common rooms, but it was getting on to night cycle, and Peter was tired. Neither his mind nor his body could really handle the energy it would take to socialize with strangers right now.

Faodail accepted this refusal with surprising grace, and Peter was suspicious he was just as happy to go back to his friends and share his new gossip before they could ask Peter or his companions themselves. Peter didn't begrudge him this, he remembered how exciting news of any sort could be when your world was confined to a single ship and crew, especially one that was in hiding and must have minimal contact with outside individuals.

**End**

**Chapter 5 Preview:** "... _What time is it?" Peter asked, stalling for time as his brain struggled to follow his body into the waking world._

_"Breakfast time." She answered brightly._

_"No thanks. I'll just get something from the mess later." Peter was reaching for the panel to close the door in her face when she held a hand across the way to stall him_..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is, by far, the shortest chapter yet. About 3.5k, when they usually run 4-7k. I considered including the first section of the next chapter, but it just didn't flow right, and I realized I was only doing to keep the word count even, which was the wrong reason. This first Nova section is running a bit longer than I thought it would, but I tend to estimate the chapters and story-lines a lot shorter than they turn out to be, so I guess this shouldn't be a surprise to me.
> 
> I imagine Yondu is the kind of person who would respect Nebula's prowess rather than hold it against her. Especially because he knows that at the moment he has nothing to fear from here, and he already considered her dangerous, so there's no real sense of betrayal or fear. In his life, I'd imagine he's had many experiences with friends today becoming enemies tomorrow and vis versa, and learned to appreciate the strength of his enemies as much as his allies. If anything, I think this may have raised her a bit in his eyes. It might have served as a warning to watch her more carefully, but he already was.
> 
> 'Faodail' means a pleasant surprise.
> 
> I had something else to say, but I'm exhausted and don't remember it, so thank you all for continuing to read!
> 
> -OMaM


	5. Wonderwall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “ _Today was gonna be the day but they'll never throw me back to you._  
>  _I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now_.” - Oasis
> 
> Peter manages to spend some time with his crew, and struggles with the eventuality of seeing his father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I am so sorry for the super long hiatus! Life kind of... fell apart for a while, my cat who'se been with me for more than half my life passed away, work went back to 7 days a week, and I had so many things crop up at once that I just had no time and no heart to work on this project. I've been trying to keep myself doing something because I still love the story and plan to finish it, but every word's been like pulling teeth, and I've been struggling to find my place in the story again. I'm starting to get back to normal and hope to get the next chapter up in a more timely manner, but I can't make any promises to when that will be. It's not a super exciting chapter, and I'm sorry it might be a bit disappointing after such a long wait. It is an important one later on, though, both for character development and plot, and the next one should have a more exciting payoff depending on where I put the chapter end.
> 
> I own nothing. Characters and story belong to Marvel
> 
> Title is from "Wonderwall" by Oasis

Peter had meant to stay awake for a while at least, in case a message arrived, but he must have been more tired than he realized, because his memories ended shortly after turning his Walkman on and placing his head on his pillow. He woke up with the headphones still wrapped around his neck, but someone must have turned it off at some point. The switch had been flipped, when Peter would normally just let it run through the night.

The steady rumble of Drax's snoring filled the still-dark room and at first Peter couldn't figure out what had woken him. His question was answered a moment later when a soft knocking came from the door. There was a rustling from the bunk underneath him as Cosmo stirred and Peter took the time to stretch out his stiff limbs before climbing down from his own bunk. There was another soft round of knocking as Peter and Cosmo lumbered their way to the door.

"Hello?" Peter yawned as he reached for the control panel, followed by a low hiss as the bright hallway lights flooded the room and stung his eyes. Behind him, Cosmo gave a loud sneeze.

"Good morning!" Marlowe chirruped, looking much too awake and chipper as Peter blinked the sleep from his own eyes.

"What time is it?" Peter asked, stalling for time as his brain struggled to follow his body into the waking world.

"Breakfast time." She answered brightly.

"No thanks. I'll just get something from the mess later." Peter was reaching for the panel to close the door in her face when she held a hand across the way to stall him.

"Not that. I meant I'll be taking trays down to your friends, and thought you might want to join me. I got your note much too late to do anything last night. I have a busy day planned today, so it would be convenient for me if I could combine your visit with breakfast."

Peter didn't doubt that Marlowe had a busy schedule, and he got the notion from her overly-bright and cheery words that if he made himself an inconvenience to her, she would make him pay for it somehow or other, so he promised to get ready and meet her at the Containment Unit shortly.

-x-

Groot, to Peter's surprise, had decided to stay behind. He'd claimed that the room would be crowded enough already. Peter thought that maybe he just really didn't like the idea of standing in a prison again so soon, no matter what side of the bars he was on, so he didn't argue.

Drax was given no such consideration, but the maniac had proven difficult to rouse. It had taken several kicks to his bunk and his own shoes thrown at him for the Destroyer to finally cave and submit to getting dressed and ready to go. Peter almost wished he could allow his teammate to sleep in. Drax may have the gifted healing of someone in their prime and from a species with incredible durability, but he didn't share the enhancements that the assassins did which allowed their worst wounds to seal overnight. Like Peter, Drax's injuries were healing at what would be impressive compared to most races, the inflamed puffiness had vanished and the wound was already beginning to mend back together, but if it weren't for the metal stitches still zig zagging across his chest, Peter was pretty sure the wound would split right back open. A healing pack or two would go a long way to help, like when the maniac had torn his neck on half-world, but the Nova Corps had been stretched thin on supplies even before the rescue mission, and Drax had apparently waved off any offers of aid that he felt would take away from the 'weaker crewmates.'

It would be nice, Peter reflected as they made their way down the familiar route to where the other half of his team was being held, to get a chance to rest and heal. With time ticking on his promise to Gamora, however, and the threat of his encounter with Ego looming like a dark storm on the horizon, Peter didn't think they were going to get that lucky.

Marlowe was ready and waiting for them outside the Containment Unit, a steaming mug of coffee in her hands and a cart laden with trays and more mugs at her side.

"I brought enough for everyone." She said, swiping her card and opening the door between sips from her mug.

Peter grabbed up a pair of trays and felt a rush of deja-vu for the last time he had struggled to balance a tray full of breakfast with his broken hand to bring it to Gamora on the Eclector. This time, at least, he didn't have far to take it.

Inside, Nebula and Gamora were already up. Gamora was running through a series of slow stretches that Peter recognized. They had been a pretty regular part of her morning rituals on the Milano, and the sheer normalcy of it stirred an ache in his chest that was growing all too familiar these days.

On her own side of the cell, Nebula was moving in perfect sync with her sister. Neither one was looking at the other, their eyes pressed closed, yet their movements were so precisely timed that it felt more like looking at a warped mirror than two individuals.

"Good morning." Peter called.

Nebula opened her eyes to shoot him a rebuking look and the mirror effect was ruined.

Peter paused outside the door that led to their cell, staring at the smooth, unbroken glass and wondering if the Nova staff had to open the door to deliver the food. Peter didn't mind at all, he was neither concerned about being attacked nor worried the sisters would leave, but it seemed like an odd way to set up a prison. Marlowe provided an answer for his unvoiced question when she stepped up next to him and tapped her finger against the glass. At her touch, little symbols lit up on the glass in a sort of see-through keypad and she typed in a brief code. A moment later a small portion of the glass began to shimmer with an iridescent glow. Marlowe turned to catch his eye and slowly waved her hand through the shimmering glass like it wasn't even there.

"Whoah!" Peter couldn't help but gasp. That was some pretty advanced technology. "You guys have flow glass?"

"Just here." Marlowe said, a proud tilt to her head. "The Containment unit was designed to double as both a prison and a Quarantine in the case of an outbreak. Air doesn't pass through. Neither does anything moving faster than this. Effective against sneezes and violent attacks. With the treaty in place, we were hoping to turn our efforts from defense into support of our existing outposts and to have a way to offer our aid to those who were too far away or too hard to reach with just the standard flight craft. This ship was a prototype for that, meant to host a large crew for an extended journey. We were lucky. It was early in its development and in the middle of a test flight when Ronan came- When Xandar fell- So it wasn't destroyed in the attack and we were able to track it down later. Technically, it was only about half-way through construction, but we don't have the means to finish it right now. That's why some of the ship utilizes cutting-edge tech, while other parts are... less modernized."

While Marlowe had been speaking she'd taken the trays from Peter and handed them through the shield. The shimmering glass let the trays of food and drink pass through, but Peter noticed that Marlowe was careful to keep her own hands on this side now that Gamora and Nebula were standing.

"So," Nebula said, grabbing Peter's attention. She had her own tray balanced easily in one hand while she moved her chair over next to the door where Peter and Marlowe were standing. "What are you after today?"

"I can't just come and visit?" Peter asked with mock hurt.

"You have that stupid look on your face, again." After setting her chair down, Nebula had turned around and snatched up the chair from Gamora's side as well, dragging this one over and setting it in front of the first so she could sit and eat her meal with her feet propped up on her sister's chair and an easy view of the guests. "The one that sais you have a problem and you can't figure it out, so you want to make it someone else's."

Gamora, who had been busy retrieving her own tray, shot her sister an annoyed look when she noticed her stolen chair, but apparently decided it wasn't worth fighting over and retreated to her bed to eat instead.

"Alright, you got me." Peter relented with a shrug. "I need your and Gamora's opinion with something. But first, how's Rocket?"

"I think he'll live." Nebula picked up a plastic utensil and starting to pick at her food with a nonchalance that conveyed they were discussing getting over an ugly haircut and not a withdrawal that was known to be sometimes fatal.

In his own cell, rocket was still in his favorite corner, but while before he had appeared half-crazed and feral, now he just looked tired and miserable. He was still laying on his belly but more stretched out, his paws splayed out and chin pressed flat like he was trying to cool himself against the polished floor. His eyes were hollow and unfocused, but Peter was relieved to see they were back to their normal brown. Occasionally, an ear would twitch or his head would tilt or jerk, like he thought the room was moving around him. The whole scene reminded him oddly of a time Rocket had gotten so drunk that he'd spent the night hugging the bathroom floor of the Eclector and had woken with a hangover that gave Peter a headache just to look at.

"Has he said anything yet?" Peter asked.

"No," Gamora cut in from her spot on the bed when Nebula hesitated. "he seems to be over the worst, but he'll still be pretty out of it for a while." Her voice was cool and confident, and immediately Peter felt a little better, even if he knew he was mostly just responding to the familiarity of following his own Gamora's advice. "You could give him some water. He'll be thirsty soon."

"Do you think he could eat something?" Peter didn't know how long it had been since Rocket had eaten.

Gamora stole a look at her sister here, but Nebula was now pointedly ignoring their conversation.

"Just water for now I think." There was another thoughtful pause, and then, "Maybe some broth tonight, if he's more awake, to help him get his strength back."

While they'd been talking, Marlowe and Drax had been setting up chairs in the hallway between the cells so they could discuss matters in more comfort. At Peter's imploring look, Marlowe paused long enough to give him an answer.

"I'm sure we can arrange for that."

"Great." Peter said, collecting a mug from the cart and filling it with water from a pitcher. After a brief discussion that almost dissolved into an argument before Cosmo intervened, Peter was allowed back into Rocket's cell to carry the mug over to his prone form. Rocket flinched and flicked his ears back at the approach, but he didn't growl or snarl, so Peter called it a success, left the mug within easy reach and retreated back to the hallway. He wanted desperately to try to talk to his friend, to know if he was okay, but even when Rocket had returned the feelings of friendship, trying to talk to him during a hangover was a suicidal endeavor at best.

"So before I get too into it," Peter said as he took a seat with his own tray. "Did the Council, or whatever, make a decision about my request?" There really wasn't much point in coming up with a plan if they were going to just shoot down his deal anyways.

"They're in agreement, for the most part." Marlowe answered from where she sat perched on the chair furthest from the Assassins. "They'll want to scope out the area before they can commit to any interaction or attack, though. No one knows much about Celestials, aside from the fact that they're very dangerous. What you're proposing carries a big risk to our crew, and we didn't survive this long by just charging into battles half-blind."

"That's fine." It sounded like things were exactly as he had expected. "I can give you the co-ordinates when we're done here. I'm hoping to get away with minimal fighting, but have no clue where to even start. That's why were here."

While Peter and Marlowe had been speaking, Nebula's face had transformed from surprise, to understanding, to annoyance. Now, as he looked up at her expectantly, she let out a long breath through her nose.

"I knew I hated that stupid look on your face." She growled out. "It sounds like you're scheming harder than ever to get us all killed."

"This may be my best shot at getting Mantis back." Peter said, silently pleading with his eyes.

Nebula appeared unfazed by his display, but from her spot on the bed, Gamora was staring with open curiosity now.

"Celestial?" Gamora asked, her eyes narrowed at the back of Nebula's head, as though accusing her of not sharing this information sooner.

"Why don't you start over at the beginning and fill everyone in." Nebula said, Ignoring her sister and turning her attention back to her plate of food. "Then, when we're all on the same page, we can decide whether or not your latest idea can be salvaged."

"Thanks for your continued faith in me." Peter sighed, but there was a smile to his lips even as he feigned hurt. He knew he could count on her.

Really, the only one here that was totally clueless about what he had to say was Gamora. And Rocket, but Peter wasn't sure if the raccoon could understand anything he was saying right now, or if he could, if he would be able to remember any of it later. Here he gave a slightly more abridged version, not bothering to rehash the details of the Eclector, which Nebula and Gamora both already knew, and skipping over Yondu's death with as much grace as he could muster. Even so, by the time he had wound down into explaining his current predicament everyone had finished eating their breakfast.

"So what I'm here for is, I want to find a way to get Mantis back, or at the very least, find out if she's alive, without getting into a fire-fight with my dad. There's no point in putting anyone at risk if she's not even there."

"Seems reasonable." Nebula said, passing her empty tray through the shimmering portion of the prison wall as Peter reached forward to take it. Where his fingers met with the flow glass a strange chilling sensation passed over his skin. "A little too reasonable for you. Did you finally learn something after that last disaster on Traxxon III?"

Peter's hand lifted to his face and his fingers traced along the long cut still healing across his cheek.

"I guess so." He murmured.

"If you managed to control this power once, then shouldn't you be able to use it again if it came to a fight?" Gamora asked, piping up from her seat on her bed.

"No," Peter sighed. "At least not enough to do any good against Ego, I don't think. When I used it last time, Ego did something that activated my connection, then, when I wouldn't help him willingly, he physically plugged me into the light to use me as a battery. I think that's the reason I was able to go toe to toe with him and survive. I was connected directly to his core and had access to all that power. On my own, I barely managed to make a ball of light. I don't think he's going to let me get anywhere near his core again."

"There's also another problem here." He continued. "When Ego died in my universe, my connection to the light died with him. At least, I thought it did. I felt it leave me. But I guess at least something must have been left for me to keep my memories when Thanos did whatever he did..." Peter shook his head as though he could physically dislodge the train of thought. "My point is, if we kill him and my connection is lost or weakened again, I don't know if I could wield the stone anymore."

"So we need to somehow get past this Celestial, and retrieve your friend, without killing him?" Nebula asked, her lips pressed into a thin, humorless smile. "A Fully grown Celestial who knows you and has proven he is more than willing to kill anyone in his way to get you back so he can assimilate the rest of the galaxies?"

"Something like that. I don't suppose you have any ideas?"

"I might." Nebula said slowly.

"What are you thinking?" Peter asked, leaning forward and willing her to speed up.

"I'm thinking; how important is it that you even go?"

"What?" Peter blinked.

"If him recognizing you is what will set him off, then we should avoid that. All you need to know right now is whether or not this Mantis is alive. Could some of the Nova Corps scout the area without drawing his suspicions?"

"So your suggestion is to use the Nova Corps like chum to test the water?"

Peter was surprised at the venom dripping from Marlowe's words.

Nebula's expression darkened ever so slightly, but when she continued she kept her eyes trained steadily on Peter.

"No one who was present at his destruction would be able to go without bringing more danger than they're worth, and that eliminates everyone in your group except the dog-"

 _Cosmo will not be offering to join in this venture._ Cosmo interrupted.

Peter glanced down at where Cosmo was sitting next to him. The blatant refusal from the usually very helpful psychic caught him off-guard. Especially since Cosmo might be the only one in the group with the ability to survive an outright encounter with his father. As though reading his mind, Cosmo turned to look Peter in the eye, his expression softening slightly as he continued on.

_Ego would sense Light in Cosmo right away and become suspicious. Would be too dangerous. Like brother Peter, Cosmo will stay behind, but would like to remain in-the-loop._

Marlowe pursed her lips as Cosmo spoke, but looked more like she was reconsidering the danger the Nova Corps would be in, than concerned over his refusal to help.

"Do you think he would be hostile towards just the Nova Corps?" Nebula asked flatly, moving them on to the next point of business.

Peter chewed his lip as he considered this.

"I'm not sure... From what I know, other than his children, he had no real interest in anything or anyone else. If he doesn't make the connection between us, then I guess he probably wouldn't care, but I don't know..." The image of his dad as a horrible bloodthirsty monster was so vivid in his head, that it was hard to see past it into the memory of who he had seemed when they'd first met and Peter had been so excited to meet the man his mother had fallen in love with, and kept so faithfully devoted to long after he had heartlessly abandoned her to her death.

"Regardless of his motives," Nebula added. "It's likely it would bring too much attention to himself to assault just any craft that enters his space. It's not likely he'd be hostile towards a scouting ship or two. Even if he did show any suspicions, it would be easy enough to claim they were scouting for a new base or hiding place for the fleet. And this would excuse any interest they showed in his planet in search of this, companion, of yours."

Peter shifted the empty trays he still held in his lap. Her idea actually made sense, but it felt weird sending others in to take the risk for him. He had assumed he would be going himself and the rush of relief he felt at the opportunity to put off seeing his father face to face was tinged heavily with guilt.

"Do you think it could work?" Peter turned his gaze hopefully on Marlowe.

"Perhaps." She said, with a guarded tone, watching the assassin with a sideways glare rather than returning Peter's attention. "It'll depend on whether or not he's even there. From the sounds of it, he spent a lot of his time traveling."

"He'll be there." Nebula said with such certainty Peter turned back to raise a brow at her.

"How can you be so sure?" He asked. He didn't doubt her, but was surprised at her blatant conviction.

"Because he has someone you want." She stated flatly. "And you're very predictable."

"This brings up another thought." Marlowe broke in again, finally releasing Nebula from her dirty glare to look at Peter. "This plan of your father's, the Expansion, it's a threat to the universe on a scale nearly on par with Thanos himself. If your absence is the only thing keeping him in check, then I believe the Nova Corps would agree that unless we can find a way to neutralize him without killing him, the best thing for everyone is if you were to stay behind, somewhere out of his reach where he can't find you."

Peter glanced around, but found that even Drax and Cosmo seemed to be in agreement over this.

"Alright." He relented. "You win. I'll stay behind, but I also want to be kept in the loop in case he tries anything."

"I'll see what I can do." Marlowe promised, but she was already busy stacking empty dishes on the cart.

Peter swallowed a sigh as he realized his time here was nearly over. As per their deal, he would have to leave when Marlowe did. It was frustrating, but he reminded himself that soon they would hold whatever trial they had in mind and see that his companions weren't a threat, and all this nonsense would be over.

He cast a quick look at the assassins. Nebula was still in her chair, leaning back now so it was propped up on two legs as she watched Peter and Marlowe thoughtfully. Gamora seemed to sense their meeting had come to an end and had stood to return her tray as well. As soon as Peter accepted it, with a smile she didn't return, she moved back to her side of the cell where she resumed her morning exercises.

"Hey Marlowe?" Peter asked as a new thought came to him.

"Yes?" Marlowe didn't pause in her cleaning. Drax was helping her move the furniture back now.

"You said the Nova Corps has been assisting refugees and stuff for a while now. I don't suppose you guys know anything about where Thanos might keep prisoners? Like, really important ones?"

From her place on the floor Gamora didn't pause in her movements, but she did crack one eye open to watch them carefully.

"Most of the people we help are fleeing his path of destruction – they were never prisoners-" Marlowe stated, but she paused after settling the chair in her hands back onto the floor. "I think there was someone... It was a while ago, who had spent some time on Asylum."

"Asylum?" Peter asked.

"A massive prison ship." Marlowe explained. "Part of Thanos's main fleet. Heavily armed and nearly impossible to track."

"They're not there." Nebula broke in, her arms were crossed and she was now rocking her chair back and forth with a feigned nonchalance. "If they were on the Asylum I would know about them."

"Who's not there?" Marlowe asked, eyes narrowed as she looked suspiciously between the two. "Who are you looking for exactly?"

"Gamora's parents." Peter answered. "Thanos has them. He's keeping them prisoner somewhere, but we don't know where. Gamora thinks they're on a planet, but that's all we really know."

Marlow's brows furrowed slightly, and Peter thought he caught something that might have been reluctant pity cross over her expression.

"I'll look into it if I have the time." She said.

That was hardly promising, but she was already rolling the cart towards the doorway.

**End**

.

 **Chapter 6 Preview:** "... _In the distance, Peter thought he could see a group of corpsmen in flight gear moving through the hangar as well. As the capitol planet of a vast empire, Xandar had always had a very eclectic citizenship, so Peter had no clue which of them were new recruits and which were just young refugees from Xandar. "This wouldn't have anything to do with going to see my father would it?" Peter asked, the sight of the young and inexperienced aliens suddenly filling him with an unexpected wave of apprehension_..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for sticking around despite the long and unexpected break. I will try to get evrything up and running and get the Earth book going soon as well. I have been doing some planning in my down time so it wasn't a total loss.
> 
> I'm sorry to all the reviewers I haven't replied to, I will try to get to those as soon as I can.
> 
> -OMaM


	6. The Case of William Smith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “William holds his palm out proud upon the bible lays it down  
> and solemnly swears against it that every word is true.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title and quote are from the song 'The Case of William Smith' by Astronautical. It's been one of the key chapters I've had in mind since the start of the project, and one of the core songs for Rocket's character here.
> 
> This is a fan based work for entertainment only. Guardians of the Galaxy belongs to Marvel.

Marlowe had parted ways from the group as soon as Peter gave her the coordinates for Ego's location. Peter hoped she would keep her word about helping them track down Gamora's parents. They could use all the help they could get.

Cosmo had left along with her, claiming he had calls to make and business to attend to with his generals back on Knowhere. Drax returned to their room shortly after, supposedly going back to continue the rest that Peter had interrupted.

With nothing else to occupy his time, Peter wound up spending his morning wandering the ship with no particular destination in mind. It was a pretty impressive ship by Peter's estimation. Not quite twice the size of the Eclector and obviously designed to hold a large crew in comfort, even if not all of the systems were fully functional. He discovered from some chatty engineers that the ship's name was the Starburst, and that while the loss of the Empire had sorely crippled their efforts, they were still working tirelessly to get the remaining half-finished systems online, though the going was slow at best. Peter wondered if maybe Rocket would be able to help with these improvements once he was up and about, but didn't voice his thoughts.

By the early afternoon he had wandered his way down to the hangars. An entire fleet of Nova Ships were docked in their bays. Some of the ships he passed bore dents and marks that were probably from their recent rescue mission to save him and his friends. A handful were gutted or missing larger pieces, the mechanics working on them too busy to spare Peter much more than a cursory glance.

This was where he happened to run into Dey. The Denarian was strolling down one of the rows, dressed in full flight gear with his face so buried in a tablet that he hadn't even noticed Peter until he called out a greeting.

"Peter?" Dey asked, halting and lowering the tablet. The glow from its screen casting shadows that exaggerated his surprised expression. "What are you doing down here?"

"Scoping out the ship." Peter shrugged as he caught up. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't enjoyed some time to himself, but he was more than ready to have a friendly face to talk to. "You getting ready to go somewhere?"

"Just getting back, actually," Dey said, tucking the tablet under one arm. "Running some of the Corpsmen on their defense patterns. The younger crew and new recruits need as much experience as they can get."

"New recruits?" Peter asked.

"Yeah." Dey scratched offhandedly at the stubble on his chin as he spoke. "Most of the people we help, we relocate to safer portions of the galaxies, but now and then some of them want to stay and help us fight."

"Oh." Peter said. In the distance, Peter thought he could see a group of corpsmen in flight gear moving through the hangar as well. As the capitol planet of a vast empire, Xandar had always had a very eclectic citizenship, so Peter had no clue which of them were new recruits and which were just young members from before the fall of Xandar. "This wouldn't have anything to do with going to see my father would it?" Peter asked, the sight of the young and inexperienced aliens suddenly filling him with an unexpected wave of apprehension.

"No," Dey's face softened into a smile, like he understood what Peter was thinking. "That group already left. It's a good crew. They know what they're doing. These drills are a regular part of life around here."

"Wait, they left already?" Peter felt a small trill of annoyance at that. He had asked to stay in the loop after all.

"Before morning cycle was up," Dey affirmed, beginning to walk again. "Nova Prime didn't want to waste any time."

"No one told me anything about this." Peter fell into step beside Dey.

"No one knew where you were." Dey replied with a look that was more amused than anything else.

"Oh," Peter huffed, deflating slightly. "Right."

"Don't worry, Nova Prime's leading the mission himself. They'll all be fine, and back before you know it. Marlowe told me she thinks they might even be calling the trial tomorrow morning if the tests come back quickly enough."

Peter chewed his lip as he considered the impending trial with a mixture of dread and impatience. He'd been waiting for this trial for cycles but the thought of it actually being so soon wasn't as relieving as he hoped it would be. Marlowe's warning about all the worst ways it could end came unbidden to the back of his mind.

They walked on in silence for a bit while Peter shuffled through his head for what kind of questions he might need to ask Dey as long as he had him, but his musings were interrupted by a low musical alarm chiming out across the bay.

"Oh?" Dey said, coming to a halt and staring up at a blinking screen far above their heads, fastened high along one of the walls of the hangar. "They're back already? That was quick."

"That's... good right?" Peter asked.

"I'm not sure." Dey said slowly. "Let's go find out. They'll be docking in the far wing. Follow me."

Dey turned and led them through the winding aisles of ships to a new section of the very impressive docks. By the time they were in sight, the ships had already docked and the crews had disembarked. Some of the crew were already running through the familiar routines of a post-check flight, while others were vanishing back towards the dock exits. Several of the Nova Crewmen shot him sideways glances as they passed.

"Dey? ...Peter?" Marlowe's voice distracted Peter from wondering at the strange looks, and he found the Nova Prime and his assistant approaching down the walkway. "What's he doing down here?"

"Just getting a tour of the ship." Dey answered easily, unperturbed by Marlowe's accusatory tone.

Marlowe and Saal had come to a halt in front of Peter and Dey, and for a moment Saal pinned Peter down with a deeply thoughtful look, the wrinkles on his face deepening slightly.

"How'd it go?" Peter broke in, too impatient for their small talk.

Marlowe's eyes flickered over to Saal for a moment before answering.

"It went remarkably well." She answered, in a tone that made Peter think she was carefully considering what to tell him.

"Was Mantis there?" He asked, when she let the pause linger too long. "Was she alright?"

"There was someone fitting your description of Mantis present, and she seemed to be under no immediate duress."

"Great!" Peter all but crowed, his heart feeling lighter at the news. "Did you see my father?"

If Mantis was there, then Ego must have been, too.

"We met him, actually." Marlowe answered, after another quick glance Saal's way. "We have some DNA which is being sent to the labs as we speak to run against yours."

"Everyone's Okay, though. So he wasn't suspicious?" Peter asked slowly, ignoring the way his heart beat faster at the mention of coming face to face with his father.

"We'll have time to discuss this later." Saal cut in, apparently losing patience and beginning to move off. "For now you should prepare your crew. We'll be holding the trial tonight."

"So soon?" Dey asked, his brows raising in surprise.

Marlowe just shot him a quick smile, hardly more than a twitch of the lips and toss of a shoulder, before hurrying to catch up to Saal.

"I wonder what happened?" Dey murdered, brows drawing together as he watched the Prime and his assistant go.

-x-

Peter was more than happy to take Saal's advice and gather his crew as quickly as he could. Drax and Groot, who had wandered from the room, proved difficult to locate. He and Dey, who had agreed to accompany him so he could convene with his incarcerated crewmates as well, eventually tracked them down in some out of the way viewing room, seated on a pair of dark couches set under a massive glass wall that provided a decent view of the outside of the ship. Between the couches was a small matching table with an empty lunch tray and a mug, probably the remains of Drax's lunch.

"Whoah." Peter gasped, staring out the window at a huge asteroid that was drifting lazily by. It was so close to the ship Peter could make out tiny black flecks, like shards of broken glass or obsidian, set into the brown surface. "Where are we?"

"An unnamed asteroid field outside of the Blackmoon Quadrant." Dey joined him at the window, his distant smile reflecting off the glass. "The metals in the asteroids and a strong electromagnetic field make it impossible to use scanners or trackers to find us. A ship this big and this new isn't easy to hide, and on top of not wanting to be found by Thanos, we'd be an obvious target for scrappers and pirates.

"Of course," Dey added, rubbing at his nose sheepishly. "It makes our communications a bit tricky sometimes. Our ship can't really send or recieve hails from outside of the field. Your friend Yondu almost didn't find us in time to save you."

"Wait." Peter pulled away from the window. "I thought Cosmo said he was going to be calling his generals back on knowhere today?"

"We have scouts that patrol outside of the asteroid fields at set times to keep an eye on the outside and intercept communications from our allies. Cosmo would have to go with one of them on their rout to send a message out. He'll probably be gone for a while."

"Will he be back in time for the trial?" Peter tried to keep the trepidation from his voice, but it must have shown through as Dey's smile faltered a bit.

"I'm not sure. Patrols return pretty late in the cycle, so he might not."

"Trial?" Drax asked, rising from his seat on one of the dark couches.

"It was moved to tonight." Peter informed him. "I was coming to gather you guys so we could meet up with the others. But first, can we swing by the mess hall?"

-x-

Peter led the way down the hallway, a warm mug held carefully in his bandaged hands. After nearly setting a new personal record for how quickly he could cram a meal down, Peter had insisted on finding some broth to bring with them on the chance that Rocket was more awake by now. He was really hoping he might be awake enough to gather at least some of what was going on. Rocket wasn't always the best at making good impressions. In fact, in their months together as the Guardian's, Rocket, and his complete lack of anything resembling a filter, had single-handedly caused more disputes and cost them more allies than all of the other guardian's combined, and that was saying something. The last thing they needed here was a repeat of the incident with the Sovereign. For the sake of getting them all out of here and moving on, Peter was not above begging or bribery.

Inside the Containment Unit, the first thing Peter noticed was that Gamora was sitting, cross-legged, on the floor next to the wall that separated her cell from Rocket's. Nebula was on the floor as well, at least an arm's length away, with her elbows balanced on her bent knees, but closer than Peter had seen the sisters willing sit together since coming to this universe.

"How is he?" Peter couldn't quite see Rocket from the entryway and was suddenly worried that something had gone wrong with his recovery, but when Nebula glanced up at him her eyes were dull with boredom and the first hints of frustration, rather than any concern.

"Coming along." She answered, rising to her feet. "Is that for him?"

"Yeah. Broth, like Gamora said." As Peter made it to the end of the hallway he found Rocket sitting directly in front of Gamora, arms crossed and ears pressed back. An unpleasant look was smeared across his face as he glared back at her.

"Hey Rocket." Peter tried.

Rocket turned his head slowly, the dirty look shifting from Gamora to Peter. Despite his sour expression, Rocket was obviously much more awake and alert than he had been earlier. Well, it was progress. It was really hard to reason with someone who was too out of it to understand your words.

"Glad to see you're looking better. I brought you some broth." Peter raised the mug and wiggled it slightly. "You like Bereth broth, right? There weren't many choices."

Rocket just narrowed his eyes and flattened his ears more, like Peter's voice was too loud. He was reminded again of Rocket with a killer hangover, and tried to lower his voice.

Dey, who had been watching them interact quietly, stepped forward and unlocked the door before stepping back. The remote to Rocket's collar was hidden away in one of his pockets. Dey had gathered it while Peter, Drax and Groot were busy in the mess hall. Peter was grateful for the discretion at least.

Rocket's glare didn't waver as Peter entered, but there was no growling or hissing and Peter felt immeasurably more reassured at seeing his friend acting a little more like his normal self.

"Here." Peter knelt down an arm's length away and held the mug out. Rocket made no move to take it from him. Those hard brown eyes studied him carefully for several long beats before Rocket finally opened his mouth.

"Just leave it." Rocket grunted out. His voice was raw and cracked, even more so than usual, and though Peter had been expecting as much after his last few trying days, he was still surprised at exactly how bad it was, and found himself wondering if it was from more than just a few days of sickness and disuse.

"Okay, sure." All of Peter's bravado and determination seemed to melt away at the reality before him. There was the sharp clack of ceramic on tile as Peter set the mug down between them. "Just, um, let me know if you want more I guess."

Rocket's only response was a rippling twitch of his whiskers which could have meant anything, and Peter had to be satisfied with that.

"Anyways," Peter said as he stepped back out of the cell and let Dey close it again. "We're here because the trip to see my dad was a success, and they're calling the trial tonight."

"So soon?" Nebula asked, her arms crossed and brow arching upwards.

"Sooner's better, isn't it?" Peter asked, though she was only mirroring his own doubts on the matter. "Mantis was there. And the sooner the trial, the sooner we can get you guys out of here, save her, and start looking for Gamora's parents." As Peter spoke, he risked a glance at Rocket to see if he was listening, and was happy to see him watching carefully.

Nebula just hummed in response, the noise muffled slightly by the thick glass between them.

"Do you know what this trial will consist of exactly?" Gamora asked, joining her sister at the door but leaving the same arm's length between them that had been present earlier.

"Not really..." Peter looked back at Dey who was standing behind him in the hallway.

"It should be pretty simple, really," Dey replied, speaking for the first time since arriving. "The council will be acting Jury and Nova Prime will be presiding over it. Some of the crew should be present, too. Mostly it's an assessment of the danger present to the crew and how best to deal with it..."

As Dey had been speaking Peter noticed Groot behind him, still lingering in the doorway to the rest of the ship.

"Groot?" Peter asked, leaning over to get a better view of the collosus. "What are you doing? You should be a part of this."

"I am groot." Groot muttered, shifting back.

"What do you mean 'no thanks'?" Peter asked, raising a brow in surprise.

"I am groot."

"It's not that cramped. Look. Drax is in here and he's just fine." Peter waved at the maniac standing quietly at Dey's side as he spoke.

"There is adequate space in here for the tree." Drax agreed.

Groot shuffled reluctantly through the doorway, but stopped inside the break area and refused to come any further.

"I am groot." He grumbled mutinously.

"Suit yourself." Peter sighed, giving up trying to persuade Groot in any further. If he wanted to be difficult, that was fine. He wasn't the one in any danger here, so Peter would worry about puzzling out this sudden change of attitude later.

"Is your friend alright?" Dey asked, watching Groot from over his shoulder.

"Yeah, he just... doesn't like small spaces." Peter answered lamely. "He's spent a lot of time in prisons lately."

There was a loud snort of laughter and Peter turned in surprise to stare at Rocket.

"Lotta time in a prison, huh?" He laughed with a sneer that flashed the tips of his teeth, though the effect was somewhat lost to his crackling voice. "Cause no one else here would know what that's like, right?" He turned to stare expectantly at Gamora and Nebula in their cell, but his wheezing laugh trailed off when they didn't respond, and his face fell back into its ugly glare. His lips peeled back slightly, and Peter was pretty certain that if his body wasn't so sore, the raccoon would be flipping the assassins off right now.

"Why don't you quit being a baby, you overgrown court weed?" Rocket spat out, loud enough to be easily heard by Groot who was still hovering out of sight from Rocket's cell.

Groot remained silent, but was shifting his weight around where he stood. There was a dark look that Peter had never seen on his friend's adult face before, but was oddly reminiscent of his sullen teenage phase.

Well this was new. Rocket and Groot had been such an inseparable pair in his own reality, Peter hadn't really considered any other possibilities here, and yet, there was obviously something unpleasant between them. Peter realized with a small jolt that he had been somewhat relying on Groot to help persuade Rocket to join them. That plan was quickly tossed in the scrap heap.

"The tree is a baby?" Drax asked, his brows raising in surprise. "If he grows any larger, it will be difficult to fit him on any ship."

"It's a metaphor," Peter sighed. "Groot's not going to get bigger. Right?"

In actuality, Peter had no clue if Groot could grow any bigger. They'd only been together a cycle or so before he'd burned, and since then had been regrowing. Peter had sort of just assumed this was his adult form. But Groot didn't correct him, so his assumption was probably correct.

"Still," Drax persisted. "It is deplorable to send a baby into battle."

"He's not a baby. It's a metaphor," Peter repeated "Rocket was just saying that Groot was behaving like a baby."

"I am groot!"

"I wasn't agreeing with him!"

Rocket seemed to be enjoying the chaos he was causing. Under the thick layer of misery was a small but definite spark of a devious humor that Peter had long since learned to dread, and maybe even fear a little.

From his spot in the middle of the hallway, Dey cleared his throat.

"Do you guys... normally get along so well?"

"Things are a bit strained right now." Gamora's calm voice of reason came to the rescue, saving Peter from having to answer. Anything he could say to make Dey feel better would probably have been an outright lie. "I'm sure you can understand why."

"Of Course." Dey didn't seem entirely convinced, the corners of his mouth were pulled down in a small frown.

"How long do you think we have?" Peter asked, trying to get them all back on the same page. All this in-fighting wasn't good. Marlowe had made it pretty clear that their freedom was hinged largely on his ability to control the team. Gamora and Nebula seemed to be in the spirit at least, but without being able to ever be alone with Rocket, Peter could only hope that he could figure it out on his own, or the assassins could explain the plan and convince him to play along. They had clearly been doing something when he had come in, but he didn't dare ask any details with Dey hovering over his shoulder, and give away just how little control he had.

"We're well past midcycle," Dey answered, checking the little screen on his wrist. "So not too long, I'd imagine. But they'll have to run the tests first and prepare the room and crew. They'll probably be sending an escort once everything else is ready. You might want to get cleaned up a bit before then."

Peter glanced down at himself and realized the Denerian may have a point. He'd been running around the ship all day and his clothes were a bit sweaty and rumpled. He could probably use another shower, too. He had taken one the day before to wash the rest of the blood and grime from the battlefield off, but a surreptitious sniff of his shirt proved he still stank quite a bit.

"Ughf. Okay, yeah. Is Yondu still around? He has the Milano, so I can see if any of my clothes survived the crash." It would be nice to get back into his own clothes anyways. He'd been running around in spare cadet uniforms for long enough.

"I think so. Do you have anything more formal?" Dey asked, turning to question Drax. "We might have some spare formal shirts in your size-"

"I will not be wearing a shirt." Drax cut him off stubbornly.

"But it would-"

"Don't bother," Peter cut Dey off now before they could wander too far off-topic again. "He won't budge on this. But I'll get you some more pants while I grab my own clothes." Drax's ravager pants had been damaged beyond repair during the fight on Traxxon III. Like Peter, he was just borrowing spare clothes from the Nova Corps right now. He knew it was silly, but Peter found he couldn't help but feel better at the thought of his crew back in their ravager red to face this new, strange threat.

"Do you guys want some new clothes, too?" Peter asked, turning back to face the assassins. Nebula was still wearing her jumpsuit she's sequestered from the Eclector before leaving, but it was looking worse for the wear with several torn pieces along one shoulder and a couple of burns and blood stains. The black of Gamora's outfit hid the blood and grime well enough, but it was still ripped and tattered from the shrapnel of the exploding Milano. Gamora opened her mouth, looking ready to refuse when Nebula spoke over her.

"Sure."

"Great." Peter perked up a bit at the tiny victory even as Gamora shot her sister a questioning look which went unanswered. Yondu's ravager faction was currently composed entirely of men, but it wasn't so much a rule, as just the fact that no women really wanted to join the marauding crew of over one hundred men who were so very accustom to living with other men in a seemingly never-ending contest to out-disgust each other. Later, after Yondu's funeral, Peter had learned from Stakar that this was a pretty common phenomena among the ravager factions; ships would often drift to being composed of entirely men or entirely women. Still, there had been a few occasions during Peter's time with them when females had briefly joined Yondu's crew, and he knew they always had a handful of women's uniforms floating around in crew storage.

"Don't even bother." Rocket rumbled out when Peter glanced at him thoughtfully. That was fine, though. Peter honestly didn't think he could do anything about Rocket's uniform anyways. Last time the ship's tailor had made Rocket's jumpsuit, but Peter didn't have Rocket's measurements memorized, and doubted he would be persuaded to give them over even if there was time for it. He would just have to settle for everyone else.

"Alright, I'll be back as quickly as I can."

-x-

Yondu proved easy to locate with just a few inquiries -The ravager captain had been hanging around after news of the impending trial had blown his way- and Peter was delighted to learn that the Eclector was stationed nearby. It wasn't long before Peter was returning with a stack of fresh uniforms folded in his arms. Dey, who had accepted Peter's offer to come along and had visited the Eclector with a mixture of delight and poorly-hidden horror, returned with him now so he could drop off the clothes. Groot, still in some sort of bad mood and not needing any sort of uniform, had returned to their rooms as soon as they had left the Containment Unit. Drax left to join him as soon as Peter handed over his change of clothes.

"Sorry, they're a bit dated, but they're clean." Peter smiled as he handed the remaining uniforms to the assassins through the flow glass.

"They're fine." Nebula accepted the uniforms, passing one back to Gamora without looking.

"Okay, well, I'm going to go back to the room and get ready myself. It's been suggested I stay there until they call for the trial. I think they don't want us conspiring." Peter laughed at his joke, but no one else laughed with him and it died back down. "Anyways, I probably won't see you again until then. Dey said they'll be sending an escort for you guys, which probably means-"

"Hand-cuffs and armed guards. Yes." Nebula cut off his awkward babbling with a flat look that reminded him this wasn't anyone's first time as a prisoner. "Is there anything else?"

"One thing," Peter mumbled, suddenly nervous about his request. "I know it's really not your style..." He paused to glance at Gamora and make sure Rocket was listening as well to include them in his request. "But I think an apology would go a long way here..."

Across the glass Nebula stiffened. I was so subtle, hardly more than a sharpening of her features and a deepening to the creases of the uniform held in her arms, but it made Peter's heart beat a little harder and his palms sweat as he feared the worst in her reaction.

"Of course," Came the unexpected response, the deceptively mild tone not matching the tension in her body. "You're the captain."

"G-great." Peter had no doubt that he had upset her, and that any apology she gave would be for the sake of the trial and maintaining the appearances, and nothing else, but out of all of them, Nebula was honestly the one he was most worried about here. Even more so than Gamora, who's crimes were not as personal to the crew and who had a calm air about her at all times. Even Rocket, who had been referred to as a weapon with a casualty that set Peter's nerves on end, seemed to be afforded some sort of pity which Peter was sure would work out in his favor, just as sure as he was that Rocket wouldn't appreciate it. He hadn't missed the sharp looks Marlowe had sent Nebula's way, however, or how she been just a little cooler towards the younger assassin, nor had he forgotten that Nebula was the only one there when Xandar burned. There was a bad blood between her and the Nova Corps that didn't exist between the Xandarians and either of the others. "Thank you."

-x-

Back in their shared room, freshly washed and dressed, Peter's hair wasn't even done drying when a Nova Crewman he didn't recognize knocked on the door to alert them the trial was beginning. Peter, Drax and Groot were led back to the same room he had been questioned in. The Council members and Saal were once again seated behind the desk on the raised dais. As before, Marlowe was seated discreetly to the side. Her flight suit had been replaced with a more formal uniform featuring a skirt that was reminiscent of the first time they had met in his own universe. A couple dozen or so crew members in full formal uniform as well were seated as audience around the room, making the room feel much smaller and claustrophobic than before. Yondu was there as well, his normal attire and bored slouch making him stick out like a sore thumb among the crowd. There was a wide berth of open space in front of the dais where Peter supposed he and his crew were meant to plead their case or do whatever they were going to do here.

"Peter Quill. Guardians. Please take a seat." Saal indicated a row of empty seats inside the empty space.

"Where's the rest of my crew?" Peter asked stubbornly

"They will be joining us shortly. Before that, we have some things to review."

It seemed the Nova Corps hadn't just been twiddling their thumbs these last couple days. Among the information brought to light were a long list of bounties on Peter's Star-Lord alias, all of which could be traced back to Thanos in some way or another, a more recent bounty placed on Nebula's head that had been circulating in some underground channels to the tune of desertion, and reports of the Oasis's destruction which lead to a whole new round of questioning. By the time they had circulated back to questions about half-world, which apparently the Nova Corps had only ever heard rumors of and were fascinated, and horrified, to learn of the reality of it's existence, Peter was glad that the rest of his crew wasn't stuck here listening to this endless babbling that was nearly putting Peter to sleep. Whenever the line of questioning would get too far out of Peter's very limited knowledge of this universe and the inner workings of Thanos's army, he would be reduced to offering a shrug and a 'Nebula probably knows' or 'You could try asking Gamora' and Saal would quickly move them along to the next topic.

While they spoke, Marlowe was busy recording and organizing information onto her tablet with fascinating speed, and the members of the council would occasionally scribble notes onto pads next to them.

Eventually, when Peter was unable to answer anything with certainty, the questions wound down and the rest of his crew was brought in.

As Peter had predicted, they were all bound with some very heavy duty looking handcuffs, and escorted by a number of rather imposing looking and heavily armed crewmen. Despite the aggressive precautions, everyone appeared untouched and unfazed. Gamora was more calm and composed than he had seen her since Knowhere, surveying the room with her head held high as she entered.

The trio were shown to a set of chairs in front of the dais, far enough away from the others to allow a clear view of the prisoners from all sides. Gamora and Nebula took the offered seats, but Rocket just sneered at the guards and remained standing, his tail lashing slowly back and forth while he inspected the room through narrowed eyes. Peter tried to catch Rocket's eye when his inspection swept over his section of the room, but he was steadfastly ignored.

"I am sure by now you are well aware of why you are here, and the predicament we all find ourselves in." Saal began, addressing all three at once with his hands clasped together on the desk in front of him.

He was met with only silence.

"This is far from what I would call an ideal situation, however, the fact is that in times like these, opportunities often come to us under the guise of obstacles. What I see before me are some very large obstacles for my people, indeed, and an opportunity is just what I'd like to see made of it."

From his spot behind the assassins and slightly to the side, Peter could see Rocket's lips peel back into a silent snicker. The sight made the hair on the back of Peter's neck prickle, but Saal continued on like he hadn't noticed.

"All three of you have committed atrocities; so many that it would be a waste of this court's time to list the crimes in your records, let alone speculate at the horrors committed beyond our knowledge."

Peter thought he saw Gamora's carefully schooled expression falter for a moment, but from his angle he couldn't be certain.

"Regardless of this, it has always been the way of the Nova Corps to learn from the past but to be willing to step over it in favor of moving towards the future. Our previous prime, Irani, lived by this ideal, and she died by it as well. She devoted her life to making peace with our greatest enemy, and achieved it, but that peace would ultimately be what cost her-what cost all of us here today-everything. It would be easy to let our hearts be embittered by this. To let our loss and our grief excuse our own atrocities in turn. Surely, we could excuse the destruction of Thanos's favorite children and one of his greatest weapons as a necessary evil to spare the universe from a greater loss, and never once bring to our lips the word revenge, but to do that would be to let die the very core of the Nova Empire- the very last of what holds us together, and the one thing Ronan could never hope to destroy on his own, even with all the powers within the universe. I believe that in killing you, we would be delivering that final blow with our own hands."

He paused here, perhaps to gauge the Guardian's response, but more likely to let his words sink in for his own crew as well.

"It is not lost to us, as well, that now is no time to pass up any opportunity to do harm to Thanos's army. Your friend, with his celestial heritage, presents quite the opportunity to do just that, and your continued survival has been listed among the payments he would extract from us in exchange for this help. What is in question here, is what _form_ that continued survival should take."

Here, Saal's speech took on a harder tone and he leaned his weight forward onto his elbows, pinning the three Guardians down with a heavy look.

"What is it you want from us?" Gamora asked, flipping her hair back with a haughty toss of her head and taking control of the Guardian's end of the conversation.

"I am sure you can understand the risk I am taking with my crew's safety -something, I assure you, I take very seriously- in allowing you three to remain on our ship. First and foremost, I am looking for an assurance of your loyalties. For now, your word, at the least, your promise of obedience, and any information you possess which may aid our battle against Thanos. The details of your parole have yet to be determined, but I can safely say the level of your freedom and restrictions will be a reflection of your own actions. We have heard much from your companions of your supposed characters, but before we begin deliberation, I would give you the chance to speak on your own behalf." Here, Saal leaned back, gesturing with his hands for the trio to take the spotlight.

Gamora continued to take the lead, standing from her chair to face Saal and the council with a composure and grace that made Peter almost feel like he was looking at his own Gamora again.

"You can have our word that we mean your crew no harm." She said confidently. "More than that, you can have our assurance that our obedience to the Titan is ended. We will not deny the things that we have done under his rule." From where he sat, Peter thought he saw Gamora hesitate for the briefest of moments and wondered how far along she had made it in sorting through her memories. Did she even know all of what she had done? What she was confessing to? "But, we will deny any accusations of committing these actions under our own free will or desire. Free from his sway, and under the power of our own choice, we would see the Titan fall, and preserve the rest of the galaxies from his cruelties."

There was a general murmuring and rustling through the crowd assembled around them in the silence that followed her words.

"Pretty words." The lines around Saal's lips were deep as he stared at the Guardian's with an unreadable expression. "But we will take them into our consideration. Is there anything else you would like to add before we move on?"

The red tips of Gamora's hair bounced and rippled when she turned her head towards Nebula who was still seated beside her. Peter couldn't see whatever look they shared, but a moment later Nebula rose to her feet as well. A hush fell over the makeshift auditorium, so still it felt as if no one dared breath and even the soft tapping of Marlowe's fingers across her tablet faded away. In that brief silence Nebula tossed a glance over her shoulder to catch Peter's eye. It was so quick and subtle Peter might not have noticed at all if he wasn't watching her so intently.

"An apology won't do anything to change what has happened," She began, her voice taught but steady. "But for the part I played on that day, and the losses incurred by your people; I am sorry." Peter was sure he recognized Gamora's prose underneath Nebula's uncomfortably clipped tone, and wondered if they had worked something out after he had left.

"I thank you for your apology." Saal's words were nearly as tight and withdrawn as Nebula's had been, but he seemed to be a bit appeased by the gesture at least. "With no further matters to raise, we will begin-"

The Nova Prime was interrupted by a rasping chuckle that only grew louder in the resulting silence. Peter felt his blood run cold as Rocket threw his head back into full blown laughter, cruel and mocking.

"What is the meaning of this?" Shouted one of the council members.

"Oh!" Rocket's howling laughter fell back down, but refused to fade away entirely. "I'm so _sorry_ ," He chuckled. "Cause that's what we're doing here, right? Sayin' I'm sorry and makin' everything all better? 'I know I murdered _everyone you ever loved_ ," He screwed his face up and raised his voice as he mocked Nebula. "But I'm _sorry_ so let's all hold hands and get along!' What's next? Are we gonna go park on a planet so we can skip through some fields like one big happy family?"

"Rodent!" Gamora's hiss was nearly drowned by the shouts of outrage and Rocket's bellowing laughter.

Rocket's jaw snapped shut abruptly and he rounded on Gamora with a snarl.

"You might be spineless enough to grovel at their feet, but I'm not!" He spat at her with venom.

"Rocket!" Peter shouted, barely hearing his own voice over the pounding of his own heart. "They're trying to help-"

"Bullshit!" Rocket rounded on Peter now. "How stupid do you think I am?! This ain't the first time I've been bought but it sure as hell is gonna be the last!"

"No one's trying to buy-"

"You can call it whatever you want, sit on your precious council and spout out the word parole, but I still got a collar 'round my neck and chains on my arms. The options here are obedience or death, you're just a new boss singin' the same old song, and if you ask me, I'm no better off now than I was with that oversized raisin. This isn't a trial, it's just another god-damned auction block."

"We have a chance to save the galaxies." Gamora said stiffly. "To kill Thanos."

"I don't give a flying crap about the galaxies! I hope he kills you! I hope you all kill each other and there's no one left!" Rocket turned his head, sweeping his glare across the room to leave no doubt that he was including everyone present. His voice had risen to near hysterical levels and was beginning to crack under the strain of its abuse.

"That's enough!" Saal slammed his hands down on the desk as he rose, his furious eyes landing squarely on Peter. "Control your people or-"

" _Control me_!?" Rocket howled, whirling now on the Nova Prime. "Oh, no. _I'm_ in control of me now, and I ain't going back quietly!"

To Peter's absolute horror Rocket gave a final twist of his wrist and the cuffs holding his arms in front of himself fell to the floor. He must have been undoing them this whole time, but Peter had been so distracted with his endless whirling and erratically thrashing tail that he hadn't even noticed. Peter's mind was still reeling in surprise at this new development when Rocket launched himself straight for the Nova Prime and everything seemed to burst into life at once.

In one fluid movement Gamora hooked the leg of her chair with her ankle and flung it after Rocket, hitting him square in the back. At the same time Nebula raised her foot and stomped down on her own cuffs, ripping her right hand free with a horrible crunch then diving after Rocket, grappling him with her working arm and pinning him down before he could regain his feet.

Peter had leaped forward without even realizing it, and now he stood frozen over Rocket who was thrashing and screeching profanities while he clawed and snapped at the mechanical arm pinning him down. As fast as things had come to life they froze again. A terrible hush swept over the room, making Rocket's cries all the more stark and jarring. When Peter lifted his eyes he found that nearly everyone else had sprung to action as well.

Every member of the council was standing now, and many of the guards that had come in with the assassins and Rocket had moved forward with weapons drawn to protect them. Marlowe, with the tablet nowhere to be found, stood steadfast between Saal and Rocket's interrupted path, a gun gripped white-knuckled in her hands. Peter couldn't even begin to fathom from where in her court uniform she had drawn it. His eyes swept around the room and he found that every member of the audience had risen into various battle ready positions as well. All, that was, except for Yondu, who still slouched in his seat, coat thrown back and the corner of his lip pinned between his teeth in preparation for a whistle. The weight of the silence seemed to settle a bit heavier on his shoulders as Peter realized he didn't know with any certainty where that deadly arrow might have been pointed had it been loosed. Drax and Groot had risen from their seats but remained rooted where they were. In the center of it all Gamora stood, alone and unchanged.

The first to break from the frozen tableau was Saal. Something cold and dark had taken over his expression as he slowly reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out the remote to Rocket's collar.

"No-" Peter stumbled forward a step, but a soft click froze him in his tracks again. Peter's heart dropped to his boots when he glanced over his shoulder and caught sight of the barrel of a blaster pointed squarely at his own head.

"Please," Peter licked his lips and raised his hands in a placating gesture as he turned back to plead with Saal. "Please don't."

"Center button." Gomora's cold voice sent a chill down Peter's spine. "Press it three times, then hold it down."

Saal's cold eyes considered the assassin for a moment before he raised the controller.

"No-" Peter jerked forward, but was stopped again by the all too familiar sensation of a gun barrel pressed against the back of his head. He could do nothing as Saal pressed the button as instructed and Rocket's curses contorted into a pained scream that abruptly cut off.

Rocket's final cry was still ringing in Peter's ears when the rest of the assembly roared into life. Shouts of outrage mingled with slews of insults directed at Rocket and the assassins. Through the cacophony, he could make out demands ranging from locking them up, to throwing them out the airlock, to more creative forms of execution. Peter's heart was beating like he'd just finished a marathon, and he suddenly felt the same hopelessness that had gripped him on Traxxon III when he was sure Ronan had won.

They didn't have weapons, Rocket was unconscious, and Gamora was still bound. There was no way they could fight their way out of here, and even if they tried, Peter was still loath to hurt these people who he had considered friends in another time. Unbidden, Peter's bandaged hands raised up to run through his hair, as his thoughts raced like a panicked mouse inside his skull. What was he supposed to do here?

As if in direct answer to his thought, one voice broke through the din.

"Perhaps, I can offer a solution."

Peter's heart nearly stuttered to a stop at the smug, easy tone which had haunted his nightmares for so long. Feeling like he must be mistaken, Peter slowly turned around to face the source of that voice. The rest of the assembly seemed to sense the shift in the air and the shouting died down as all eyes turned now to one corpsmen who stood with his hands in his pockets and an untroubled composer that made him stick out among the crowd. The strange man's eyes seemed to light up when they met Peter's and a soft glow rippled over his body, distorting it like an image under a clear water which had been disturbed. As the rippling settled the image resolved into the all too familiar and all too unwelcome sight of Ego.

"Hello, Peter."

**End**

.

 **Chapter 7 Preview:** "... _Rather, I intend for you to hand him over, and for him to come with me willingly."_

_"And how do you intend to achieve that?" Another council member asked._

_"With an offer you can't refuse_..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is the longest chapter yet, at 7.9k words. I almost split it in two and updated the first half last week, but I think I like it better this way. Sorry for the wait. We're finally getting back to the part of the story that I have a clearer picture for. I didn't think it would take this long to get here. I figured maybe three chapters when I wrapped up book 1, but it took 7. But then, I should know by now I'm bad at estimating words.
> 
> If anyone remembers, the Blackmoon quadrant was mentioned earlier when Nebula was looking at maps on Sakaar as a potential place to hide from Thanos. I was hoping I could work it back in somewhere.
> 
> Also, when going back and rereading some of the old chapters I realized I made a silly mistake in the first one and wrote about injuries healing on Nebula's left arm. That's her metal one. It made no sense. I am so sorry! I was so so embarrassed when I saw it! Why did no one tell me? 
> 
> The next chapter will explain how Ego got on the ship. Don't worry, he didn't kill anyone.
> 
> Thank you for your patience!
> 
> And thank you for continuing to read.
> 
> ~OMaM


	7. Dear Fellow Traveler

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _You put your hand out. Opened the door._   
>  _You said 'Come with me boy, I want to show you something more.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from "Dear Fellow Traveler" by Sea Wolf
> 
> Guardians of the Galaxy belongs to Marvel. This is made for entertainment only!

**Chapter 7: Dear Fellow Traveler**

.

The crowd of Nova Officers fell back like sheep who had just discovered a wolf in their flock, weapons turning now towards this newcomer who had infiltrated their midst.

Ego didn't so much as spare them a cursory glance. Those blue eyes bore into Peter's, trapping him where he stood.

"Not even a hello for me?" Ego asked, spreading out his arms in mock pain. "And after all the trouble I went through to pay you a visit?"

"Wh-" Peter swallowed thickly and grasped for his voice.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON MY SHIP!?" Saal's outraged shout cut through Peter's attempts at finding a reply and the last of the crew's murmuring like a battle axe.

A broad grin spread across Ego's face as he turned to address the Nova Prime behind Peter.

"I was just checking on the quality of care my son was receiving here. You can't blame a father for worrying, after what happened the last time I left him in the care of someone else." Ego threw a haughty look over one of his shoulders at Yondu who was standing now, with a dark storm brewing on his face.

"Where is Denerian Averil?!" Saal demanded.

Ego pursed his lips and tipped his head, as though contemplating the question with great solemnity as he toyed with the Nova Prime. "I believe he would be in the mess hall about now." He finally answered. "It seems his summons never quite made it to him."

"How did you get here?" Another councilman spoke up. Peter though he recognized the voice as the one called Zara, but didn't dare turn back to look.

"Where's Mantis?" His own voice startled him when it slipped out, low and accusatory.

"Mantis is fine," Ego answered Peter first with an easy smile. "I sent her back, alone, with the ship while I... hitched a ride." His head tiled slightly as he shifted his attention to the council member behind Peter. "You mortals are all so alike, and so short sighted. Your defense measures don't mean much to a being who can survive in space."

"Enough chatter," Saal snarled out. " _State your business._ "

"Very well," Ego shrugged, looking entirely too pleased with himself. "I came here to check on my son, and it seems my concerns were well placed. So now it seems we have some matters to discuss."

Peter's lip lifted up into a sneer when Ego's smug smile landed on him.

"You may carry the light within you," He intoned, brows raising like he was schooling a child not to place their hand on a hot stove. "but I assure you, you are still mortal enough that you would not survive a bullet to the head."

"Do you intend to force him from us?" At Saal's words, the crew members seemed to gather themselves, spreading out to surround the newest arrival and blocking the exits.

"Oh no, nothing so crude. Rather, I intend for you to hand him over, and for him to come with me willingly."

"And _how_ do you intend to achieve that?" Another council member scoffed.

"With an offer you can't refuse." Ego answered the councilman's question, but held Peter's eyes. "It seems you have a bit of a... pest problem?" Ego's eyes slid from Peter to something behind him. "Gossip runs rampart on small ships, and from what I have gathered my short time aboard is that you have some rather dangerous criminals in your possession, and no way to deal with them? This seems to be causing a great deal of upset among your people... And I'm sure they won't take well to the news of what has just conspired here. An attempt against the life of their own leader is sure to stir some of the more volatile to action... And when you were so close to offering forgiveness... oh well, I guess we can all see what they would do with any freedom you would offer them."

Around them, the crowd again shifted nervously, but now some of the Nova crew were darting glanced between Ego and Peter's crew, as though expecting one of the guardians to spring into an attack at any moment.

Peter really hated the sparkle in Ego's blue eyes. He looked like a dog that had just discovered an unguarded steak and couldn't believe its luck.

"Get to your point." Saal snapped, refusing to be cowed or swayed by the celestial before him.

"My point," Ego said. "Is that I have the means to provide you with a prison, far better than any you could ever devise on your own. An entire planet, with no way off, and no guards to harm. Give me the trouble makers, and I can promise to hold them where they will be safe, and far, far away from your crew."

"And in exchange for this?" Saal hissed.

"Why, Peter would come with them of course." Ego's eager grin had crept back and his eyes again met Peter's. "I think that would suit everyone just fine, now, wouldn't it?"

"I'm not going anywhere with you." Peter snarled.

"I understand we didn't part on the best of terms," Ego sighed, but the smile refused to budge from his face. "But is our little... family spat... really worth your friend's lives?" One hand lifted to gesture at something behind Peter.

Slowly, not trusting that this wasn't just some trick to make him lower his guard, Peter risked a look over his shoulder.

Behind him, Rocket was still unconscious, his body slumped in a heap on the floor. Nebula kneeled above him, one hand still gripped onto his collar, the other raised above her head in surrender to the handful of weapons pointed at her head and chest.

Tasting his own heart in his throat, Peter searched the faces of the crowd around them, but found only a varying mixture of disgust and fear. Most of them looked like they would be just as glad to be rid of his friends through any fate, so long as they would never be heard from again.

"The Nova Corps is already aware of your plans." Marlowe's voice rang out. "We will not allow you to use Peter to become a threat to the galaxies."

"The Expansion?" Ego's brows rose dramatically, almost touching the hair atop his head. "Is that what you think this is about? Oh, no my dear. I have bigger concerns for now than that failed experiment. I assure you, what I want here and now poses no threat to your... people, or any of the rest of the universe for that matter."

"You're not here for the expansion?" Peter asked, not bothering to hide his disbelief. "Then what do you want now?"

"To help you." Ego's smile split into a toothy grin that would probably be charming to anyone who didn't know what a slimy monster was hiding underneath. "Only the chance to help you. And in the process, perhaps to get to know my son-"

"Stop calling me your son!" Peter snapped, wishing desperately he had one of his blasters.

"You are my flesh and blood, Peter."

"I am _nothing_ of yours!"

"You can deny it all you like, but it is _my_ light that burns within you. I've heard the whispering on this ship and know that you intend to wield the Infinity stone against that Titan. Whatever you think, you are not yet strong enough to do that on your own without being consumed, and you never will be without my help. I am trying to help you survive this foolish endeavor of yours."

"How would you help me?"

"By guiding you, as I did before you turned on me and forced my hand into that battle. I will show you how to control the light within you, not just let it run rampart and wild like you do now, and how to cultivate it as well, into something greater."

"So you want him to walk right into your arms," Yondu spoke up. His voice strained through a tightly reigned fury. "So you can kill'm the way you killed all your other children?"

Ego's eyes were dark with undisguised hate when they turned to meet the ravager captain.

" _I tried to better them._ " Ego's voice dropped as he lost his composure for a moment. "And you didn't seem to care so much what their fates were when you were being paid. Always so eager for the next set of coordinates-

A sharp whistle and flash of red caused the Celestial to stutter to a halt. Eyes wide, he brought his fingers up to touch a hole through his chest. No blood oozed from the injury. Instead a bright light burned out from within the punctured clothes.

"Well," Ego huffed. "How savage. But it will take more than that to hurt this body, and we both know that wouldn't really kill me, now would it?" Ego brought his eyes back up to Peter, quirking an eyebrow and tossing a lazy wink at his son, his composure regained.

"Well, isn't that just the way'ah you roaches;" Yondu spat. "The nastiest ones are always the hardest to kill."

"Funny," Ego drawled. "I was just thinking the same thing..."

Yondu sucked in a sharp breath, but before he could let out his next whistle a concussion rocked through the air and Ego was blown back like a rag-doll, slamming into the simple railing that divided the audience from the open space in the middle of the makeshift trial. There was a ripple of shock and shouts of surprise around the room, but no one else seemed to have been hurt. When Ego stood back up a moment later, there was a hole blown wide in his chest, the core light that supported his false body flickered and shimmered like an exposed wire. The shadows of ribs and organs rippled underneath.

_How will this do for 'more?'_ Came a familiar ringing in Peter's head.

Cosmo must have slipped in while Peter was watching Yondu and Ego fight. To be honest, Peter had been so thoroughly distracted by the appearance of his father, that he probably wouldn't have noticed if the whole ship had crumbled apart around him. Now, the portion of the crowd towards the exit parted to reveal the cosmonaut dog, standing proudly with his tail flagged high and a blinding white light burning in his eyes.

"Now," Ego murmured, staring openly at the dog as he brought one hand up to grope at the mangled remains of his chest. "That is surprising."

"Cosmo!" Peter greeted, shoulders sagging with relief as the odds tipped clearly in their favor now.

"Cosmo?" Ego echoed, still eyeing the newcomer through narrowed eyes. "What a strange creature...But you're not a celestial. Not a real one..."

_Perhaps,_ Cosmo's voice rumbled through Peter's mind as his muzzle split open into a panting, toothy smile, his lips pulled up to display his long curved canines. _But Ego should still be careful. Ego is long way from home. And Cosmo's light burns from within his own blood._

Whatever Cosmo's cryptic words meant, Ego was clearly displeased by them. A sneer pulled at the corner of his mouth and the curiosity on his face melted into annoyance.

"I am not here to argue dynamism with some abomination." He sniffed, turning his attention around towards the Council and pointedly turning his back on Cosmo. "I came to see my son with my own eyes, and to lay my offer on the table, and I believe I have accomplished both feats. If you would like to discuss my terms in less..." Ego swept one arm out to encompass the room and its inhabitants. "hostile air... your fleet will find no danger in the open stars beyond my planet. I believe I can make these terms beneficial for all of us, and am willing to allow certain... precautions to be taken against what you would construe as hostile actions."

Satisfied with his speech, he dropped his arm back to his side and granted Peter his attention once more. "Please do consider the well fare of your companions carefully." He said through a winning smile before turning back to Cosmo with a clap of his hands. "Now, I believe you were intending to send me back home the express way?"

Cosmo's eyes lit brighter and the hole in Ego's chest quivered in answer, the edges of his false body breaking off and crumbling inward much like when Gamora's false memories had been toppled. Ego was still grinning as the last of his features were devoured by the light within, his haunting blue eyes, bright with triumph, boring into Peter until they finally winked out.

-x-

Peter sat on the floor in the hallway of the Containment Unit, slumped forward miserably, with his knees drawn up to his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around them. His chin rested on his folded arms as he stared forward into Rocket's cell, watching quietly, and lost in his own thoughts as Rocket glared back, entirely unrepentant for the trouble he had caused. Peter hadn't even bothered trying to speak with him since he had woken.

The assassins and Rocket had been thrown back in their cells as soon as the clamor of Ego's vanishment died down. Peter had followed them back, with much shouting, and now sported a shiny new bruise on his cheek from when a corpsmen had loudly and repeatedly suggested replacing Rocket's muzzle. Things had led to a quick but brutal fistfight which only ended when Marlowe fired her weapon at their feet and promised the next fight would be ended much more decisively.

Peter wasn't sure where Cosmo or the rest of his crew had gone off to. He had lost them somewhere in the ensuing chaos. It was just him in the Unit with his incarcerated friends now. Not even a Nova Corpsmen had stayed behind as escort. He had finally been let alone with his companions, for all the good it did him now. Peter was suspicious, however, that they had locked the main door behind them when they left.

At his side, in her own cell, Nebula sat on the floor as well. She was fiddling with her mechanical arm just a few inches away, so close that he could easily make out all the details of her enhancement as she worked to repair the damage Rocket's sharp teeth and raking claws had done. Closer, he thought somewhat uncharitably, than she would ever sit if it wasn't for the thick glass wall dividing them. In the silence, punctuated only by the noises of Nebula's repairs, Peter's eyes would drift from the ring-tailed subject of his ire, to the deep grooves that had been cut through the sturdy metal of her enhancement.

"That's a lot of damage." The bitter comment slipped from between his lips before he realized what he was doing. Nebula didn't pause in her ministrations. "I'm surprised he didn't loose a tooth."

"Of course not," She replied breezily. "They're enhanced."

"Enhanced?" Peter asked, not moving from his slump.

"There's no point in enhancing a jaw if the teeth are just going to break under the pressure," She snorted, like this should be obvious. Maybe it should. Peter didn't think about enhancements all that much.

They fell back into silence for a while before Peter broke it again.

"So they're fake?" The thought of Rocket with a pair of dentures was almost enough to break through his desolate state.

"No. They're his original teeth, but carbo-enhanced. Like all his skeleton is."

"Oh... Are yours...?"

"Mine are fake." She paused to frown at a panel in her wrist that was being difficult about sliding back into place. "They were developed with my own DNA, then implanted. My father had my jaw enhanced, along with the rest of my bones, without considering my teeth, and I shattered them when my weapon backfired and my muscles seized."

"Really?"

"You didn't honestly think I could take that direct hit from the fox's cannon and keep all of them if they were real?"

"Rocket." Peter corrected idly. "And it's a Hadron Enforcer."

"What?" The difficult panel finally slid back in place and she looked up long enough to give him a sidelong glance.

"A Hadron Enforcer. It's what that weapon's called. He nearly blew me and Gamora and the entire crew of the Eclector up with it our first day together."

Another long silence reigned. This time it was Nebula who broke it.

"Three of Gamora's teeth are fake."

"Nebula!?" Gamora shouted from where she had been reclining on her mattress ignoring them thus far. A grin tugged at the corners of Nebula's mouth even as she pretended not to hear her sister and continued to work on her arm. Clearly this was just the result she'd been hoping for.

"Really?" Peter lifted his head from his arms to get a better look at Nebula, trying to tell if the younger assassin was messing with him or not.

"Really." She confirmed. "In one of our combats I broke her jaw and shattered them so far beyond repair not even father's best men could salvage them." There was a smug, self-satisfied quality to her smile as she recanted the short tale. Behind her, Gamora was looking increasingly upset, her lips pursed into a tight, disapproving frown.

Peter felt the beginnings of a smile bubbling up from within, and when he settled his chin back down on the pillow of his arms his head felt just a bit clearer. It was like he had been pulled from the spiral of his dark thoughts and could finally consider things from a more rational point of view.

"Things aren't looking so good are they?" He sighed.

That garnered no answer from Nebula as she twisted a stray wire between her fingers. Statements of the obvious rarely did from her.

"What do you think we should do?" He tried a more direct approach. Circling the problem like he had been was getting him nowhere, just tiring him out and winding his nerves into a bundle.

"I think you're in a better position to weigh our chances of survival against these threats." She answered, closing one small panel on her wrist and opening a larger one. "That Marlowe is a bitch, but I'd hate to have to shoot her on the way out and cripple the Nova Corps' efforts against my father."

Peter chewed on his lower lip as the image of the carnage that a full on battle between the Guardians and Nova Corps would entail rose to his mind. It was strange having her pass the decision on to him, though. He'd grown so used to relying on Nebula for guidance and direction in this crooked universe, that her not providing him with any sort of answer was like suddenly losing one of his senses.

"So you think I should trust my dad?" Just saying it made his stomach twist and fill with acid.

"There's a difference between trusting someone and using them."

"Oh." Peter's lip was going to be bruised next time he looked in a mirror. "Hey, Nebula, do you-?"

His question was cut off by the sound of the main door unlocking and opening with a little swish. So they had locked it. Marlowe herself entered, a tablet held tight in one hand. Peter stayed where he was, but straightened respectfully as he could from his slouch as she approached. He hadn't forgotten how readily she had sprung headfirst into what would have been a very deadly battle, nor did he forget that she very likely still had her weapon concealed somewhere on her, and was more than willing to use it. Drax and Groot appeared behind her, entering quick on her heels.

"Hey." Peter greeted. "Where have you guys been?"

"Continuing to plead your case." Drax snorted, crossing his arms over his chest and staring down his nose at Peter, obviously disappointed in his supposed leader's actions.

"My case?" Peter blinked up at Drax. "I didn't realize the trial was still going."

"Nova Prime and the Council are doing their best to salvage things and calm the crew, but they were understandably shaken." Marlowe didn't look very shaken herself. She looked pissed. "We're here to see if you had reached a personal decision over your father's offer."

"You want to let me go?" Peter asked in surprise. "You're not worried about triggering the expansion?"

"Of course we are." She scoffed. "But there are precautions we can put in place with the means currently at our disposal to ensure it doesn't happen, or to stop it if it does, though I don't think we could make any promises to save you all if those things came to pass." She didn't look too sorry about that right now. "Nova Prime thinks it would be best if you weren't so close to the crew for the time being. Tensions are high and emotions are overcoming judgment. Putting you at a distance may give some people the time they need to calm down and make a more rational decision in the end, and," Marlowe's court heels made tiny clicks against the hard floor as she shifted uncomfortably. "The sooner you make some distance the better. Nova Prime still believes we need you."

"This is all what Saal thinks," Peter murmured, meeting her hardened eyes carefully. "What do you think?"

Marlowe somehow managed to further stiffen her already rigid posture. She was beginning to resemble a statue outside of a courthouse, looming over him with chiseled eyes that pierced right through him and promised atonement for his wrongdoings.

"I think your friends have taken a lot; from me personally, from the people I love- those who remain alive- and from countless others. I think they're getting off easy. A fake apology and a half-assed promise to do better isn't doing much good for anyone. But," Marlowe seemed to suddenly deflate; her rigid mask crumbling and bits of self-doubt and misery leaking through. "If Irani were here, she would say 'that's just the kind of narrow-minded thinking that lead us to this disaster to begin with. Only a fool would rather see an enemy punished than a friend helped.'"

"You really looked up to her, huh?" Peter asked softly.

"She was my mentor, my best friend, everything I ever admired, and now, thanks to your ' _friends_ ' here, she's gone."

"I am sorry she's dead."

Peter twitched in surprise at the soft apology from over his shoulder. Marlowe seemed to be caught off-guard as well, staring over Peter with eyes made bright with pain and unshed tears.

Nebula was still fixated on her arm, but the words had been clear, and held a small note of sincerity that hadn't been present in the terse apology she'd given during the trial.

"It sounds like she really was a good person," Nebula continued, testing the flex of her fingers. "I'm sure I would have hated her."

Marlowe opened her mouth but nothing came out. After a moment, she closed it, then opened it again. "I'm sure you would have."

-x-

Peter allowed himself to be gathered like some wayward child and ushered back to the meeting, or what was left of it. The original room had been abandoned in favor of a smaller room further down the same hallway. This one more closely resembled a private office and only allowed a handful of people. Whether that was because only so many remained brave enough to focus on the trial, or the room had been chosen to limit the number who could could attend remained a mystery to Peter. A pair of armed corpsmen stood guard outside the door. Peter tried not to feel the heat of their glare on his back as he entered.

Inside the room, Saal again sat behind a large desk. This one was thick and sturdy. It had it's own sort of economical beauty, but was far more utilitarian than the finely polished and lovingly stained desk of the Council. In place of the Council, a handful of decorated officers sat in plush chairs winging off from the desk. There were two on each side, all set to face the front of the desk where an empty chair sat.

The first thing Peter noticed when he searched the faces of the room was that Saal looked tired. He looked exhausted, really, as though all the burdens he bore as leader of a crumbling empire were gaining a physical weight which was slowly crushing him. His proud shoulders had the faintest slump to them now as he rested his elbows on the desk, and even the bright ship lights from above couldn't banish the shadows pooled under his eyes, but his voice was strong and commanding when he spoke.

"Star-lord. Please take a seat. It seems I have more questions for you."

It seemed answering endless questions was all he did these days, but any complaints that arose from within him quailed back when faced with the thought of what was to come after they stopped.

The questions were mostly just the Nova Corps digging into even more detail about the expansion and Ego's death. They ranged from questions about his core; what did it look like, what defenses were in place, could Ego move or hide it, to questions regarding Peter's own loyalty and what kind of 'talents' he could gain by staying there. Peter didn't much know, himself. As some of the decorated officers -one of which Peter thought he recognized from his timeline as one of Irani's nephews- speculated about what these may be, Peter felt a little like a ship being sent in for upgrades.

"And you are confident that there is no way to escape this living planet?" Centurion Taralin, according to name on her uniform, asked.

"Not unless you leave us a ship." Peter tried to ignore the way the acid in his stomach sloshed about at the thought of being abandoned on Ego's planet. "Ego controls everything on the planet. It is him."

"What about the ship he used to meet with us?" Another Centurion asked.

"According to Mantis- my Mantis- it was another one of his projections, and he was the only one who could fly it. Not even Rocket should be able to manipulate anything there to escape."

Peter couldn't believe, even as the words formed in his mind and slipped from his mouth, that he was laying out a case to be left on Ego's planet. The words passed over his lips like burrs and he had to resist the urge to chew on them again.

The little meeting proceeded in a predictable pattern from there. Every time the faux council met eyes and nodded in approval to each other after one of his answers, Peter felt himself slipping further and further over the edge of a cliff that would throw him right into the gaping jaws of his darkest nightmares.

By the time the questions ended Peter was slumped miserably in his chair, eyes glued to the dirty tips of his boots and fingers fiddling absently with the edges of his chair.

"Alright." Saal's sudden pronouncement woke Peter from the desolation he had been drifting away into. "We have what we need. Peter,"

Peter dragged his eyes up to meet the Nova Prime who was staring back with a surprising amount of patience in his tired eyes. It was the first time the Nova Prime had called him anything but Star-lord.

"Are you willing to accept Ego's offer to hold your companions in incarceration? Keeping in mind, that in light of recent events I cannot guarantee your crew's safety on this ship."

Peter felt like he was drowning, his throat crushed tight so no air could pass in or out. At Peter's silence, Saal's eyebrows raised slightly, but he made no other move to hurry him along in his decision. The thought of stepping foot on that cursed planet again-of Ego's smug smile as he knew he'd won- made something inside of him thrash and shudder like it was dying. But the thought of his friends suffering some terrible fate for his cowardice made another piece of him scream in violent protest.

He knew what the answer was. Had known what decision he would make for a long time now, but pulling the words to his lips was still like splitting himself in half.

"Yes." He forced out. Not sure if he was choking on hate, or rage, or fear, or love, or some awful slurry of a thousand other unnameable emotions. "I'll go."

"Alright," Saal said with a nod of his head. "Then let's get to work."

**End**

.

**Chapter 8 Preview:** "... _A heavy hand settled on Peter's shoulder. As he twisted his head to shoot Drax a surprised look he heard the sound of the other cell door opening and weapons being readied._

_"Hey!" He shouted, but the hand held him firmly in place_..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! I got it up on time this week (barely)! Most of it was written in the car while driving to and from vacation, but I still got it done.
> 
> I finally get to write Ego for real. I always worry when a new character is introduced, so hopefully I can pull him off. I really love his character, and so far writing him has been very fun. He's so smug and full of shenanigans. He can never be trusted and that's just such a kick to get to play around with.
> 
> Cosmo has the upper hand away from Ego's core, but if they were to fight on his planet things might change. Ego has significantly more raw power, but it's limited when he's working through a projection. I have no plans right now to have a full-blown celestial battle between them, but it's a fun thought.
> 
> And I hope no one's getting tired of Peter and Nebula's little talks. They're always some of my favorite scenes, but I try not to let them take over the story too much. Nebula's getting pretty good at cheering him up, too. 'One of us has to have hope for the future, and it's not going to be me, so buck the f*ck up.'
> 
> Finally... I realized I have been writing some of the dialogue tags wrong this entire time. I am sorry! I am working to fix the habit, and have added it to my list of things to fix when I go back and edit the last book. Please, never be afraid to point out any grammar issues you notice! I appreciate the help.
> 
> Thank you again and again for continuing to read!
> 
> And especially thank you for the reviews. They always warm my heart and keep me smiling like a fool all day!
> 
> ~OMaM


	8. Moth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
> _Thought I was different, it seems I'm just the same,_  
>  as again I put my hand over the flame.  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from "Moth" by Audioslave.
> 
> Kind of an ironic song for the actual happenings, but I thought it suited Peter's feelings about his father well enough.
> 
> GotG belongs to Marvel. This is purely for entertainment purposes.

**Chapter 8: Moth**

.

Things rolled into action with surprising speed once Peter gave his answer. So much so, that they must have been prepared at least somewhat in advance. Peter felt like a stone in the middle of a hurricane as the crew members swept around him.

There was a tap on his shoulder and Peter pulled his eyes up to find Dey standing behind him.

"Let's gather your friends."

Peter and Dey were joined by Drax and Groot, and a handful of other crew members in the hallway.

The group swept into the Containment unit, and headed straight for the cell at the end of the hallway. Gamora and Nebula both sprung back out of reach as the Nova Corps entered, seeming to sense the sudden shift in attitude and sense of urgency in the air.

"Peter?" Nebula asked, taking up a defensive stance and eyeing the nearest soldier suspiciously.

"They're taking us to Ego's planet." Peter explained.

A heavy hand settled on Peter's shoulder. As he twisted his head to shoot Drax a curious look he heard the sound of the other cell door opening and weapons being readied.

"Hey!" He shouted, but the hand held him firmly in place.

"Let them do what they must." Drax's voice rumbled. "The rodent can clearly not be trusted, and now is not the time to let your foolish eccentricities delay us further."

The Guardians were lead swiftly down to the docks. Gamora and Nebula had been bound again for the transport. Nebula had a new set of cuffs which ran from her wrists nearly to her elbows, but it was obvious from how twitchy their escort was that they hadn't forgotten how easily she had slipped free last time.

Peter hovered close to Rocket, who was being surprisingly compliant. He had a look about him, like he was thinking very long and hard about something and Peter wanted to be ready to stop whatever plan he was cooking up before the already very edgy Nova Corps shot him. Rocket never did make a move, and other than some threatening looks and an obscene gesture or two, they made it to the docks with no incidents.

Saal was waiting for them at the base of a shuttle that could comfortably fit an entire crew. Marlowe was at his side, back in her regular uniform and watching over the quiet docks as though expecting trouble.

As they drew near, Dey waved his hand in some sort of signal. Saal gave a brief nod in return and he and Marlowe turned to walk up the loading ramp ahead of the approaching group who followed after without stopping. Almost as soon as they were on board the ramp was raised and Peter could hear the engines rumbling to life.

"What's the big rush?" Peter asked, trying not to let Rocket out of sight as he made his way towards Dey. He wasn't in any particular hurry to see his father again, and all this running around was rattling his already very frayed nerves.

"You're going behind their backs, aren't you?" Gamora's voice rang out from behind him. "That council of yours has no idea what you're doing here."

Dey didn't answer, but the guilt dancing across his face was enough to tell Peter she had hit the nail on the head.

"The Nova Prime's word is law." Saal said, pausing in his own conversation with some officers to address Peter's group. "The Upper Council was formed to provide guidance. They have no power to contest my decision once it's been made. They will just have to accept what has been done." With that he turned and strode purposefully up a set of stairs that Peter could only assume lead to the flight deck. The officers he'd been conversing with followed after.

"Well isn't he a piece of work." Rocket's ragged voice was dripping with sarcasm. "If his word is so all powerful, how come you're all sneakin' around? I hope none a'you idiots are banking on a happy welcome back."

"I agree with the mad beast," Drax added, crossing his arms and staring disapprovingly after the Nova Prime. "Leaders should not deceive their people. On my planet, he would be seen as a traitor, and likely executed."

"Saal isn't concerned about being the most beloved Prime," Marlowe turned a rebuking look on the Guardians. "But he's determined not to be the last."

 _Sometimes leaders, like parents, must step in and make decisions that are necessary, but unpleasant._ Cosmo's voice rang through Peter's mind moments before the psychic dog stepped into view from a small side room. _Crew members, like children, may not always like them at the time, but if the decision was truly made for the good of the people, and not the gain of the individuals, then we can only trust they will see the sense of it in time. I assure you, Nova Prime does not make this decision lightly._

"Children are easily deceived," Drax pointed out. "There is no honor in it. Children should be told immediately that they are wrong, or else they should be allowed to learn from their mistakes."

 _Perhaps Drax has point,_ Cosmo conceded with a panting smile. _Perhaps crew members are not so much like children, as children are more willing to learn, and less afraid of being wrong._

"Cosmo?" Peter interrupted before their conversation could spiral too far off-topic. "What are you doing here? I didn't think you were planning to come with us?"

Behind him, Peter could hear a low growl from Rocket. A quick glance back revealed he was growling at Cosmo.

 _Cosmo is not._ Cosmo paid no mind to Rocket's rude greeting. _Cosmo is needed on Knowhere and cannot stay away that long. Is just here to help with... negotiations._

"Oh, well, we're always glad to have you." Peter smiled as best he could through the nerves.

 _Do not worry so,_ Cosmo soothed, tilting his head and wagging his tail softly. _Cosmo will be watching over brother Peter and his Guardians from afar while you are interned._

Speaking, or thinking, of which reminded Peter of another matter that hadn't been discussed yet.

"How long are you guys planning on leaving us there?" Peter asked, turning towards Marlowe. "I can't stay there forever. I have promises to keep."

"You'll have to remain at least until things have calmed down after your friend's little incident. There's no way to tell how long that will be."

Peter felt his heart sink he risked a glance back at Gamora who was standing quietly beside Rocket, watching their exchange with calm indifference. Marlowe followed his eyes, her hard expression softening slightly.

"I'll continue to look into the matter you raised while you're away, but I'm not going to be making any promises of my own."

That was enough for Peter who thanked her and offered her his best smile.

The ride after that was mostly quiet and all too short. Before Peter knew it Saal was returning, jogging down the steps with a grave look on his face.

"Step back," The Nova Prime ordered as he passed, and the Guardians were ushered further onto the ship. Dey and several officers slipped forward to take up a defensive position between Peter and his friends, and the small loading bay which was giving off the unmistakable sound of accepting a new passenger. No one drew their weapons, but the gesture was clear enough.

The acid in Peter's stomach sloshed about as the decompression chamber gave a low angry hiss and the doors slid open to reveal a very smug looking Ego. Behind him, Mantis slipped through the doors as well. The empath was doing a very good job at making herself invisible as she took in the room with wide curious eyes, and Peter couldn't tell if the nervous twirling of her fingers was from anything Ego may have done, or just her usual level of uncertainty in social situations.

"Hello Peter," Ego greeted, again ignoring everyone else in the vicinity as he locked eyes with his son. "I'm glad you've come to some sense."

Ego took a step forward, his arm outstretched as though he intended to greet Peter with a hug.

"Not so fast," Saal interrupted him, stepping forward to cut off his approach. "We have some terms to discuss first."

"Of course," Ego said easily enough, but his face fell just a fraction, his annoyance plain. "Go ahead and state them."

"First and foremost, I would like to make it clear that while the Nova Corps is willing to give your offer a chance, we are by no means naive enough to simply take you at your word. Precautions can, and have been put in place should you attempt anything we find suspect. We are not so enfeebled to not be able to deal with a volatile planet or two, and we will not hesitate to eliminate you."

"Even at the expense of your trump card here?" Ego's brows rose with a small disbelieving smile.

"Even so."

"Very well then. I have been warned. I have no interest in this universe right now."

"Second," Saal continued on, ignoring Ego's dismissive comments. "We will expect to remain in contact with those we are sending to you. At least once a cycle we will send you a hail. If it is not answered we will have reason to suspect you have broken one of our other terms."

"Fine, fine," Ego huffed, crossing his arms and obviously beginning to lose patience. "I have designed a communicator of sorts into my ship. Peter may use it as he pleases. It would be good practice for him, anyways."

"Which brings me to my next order." As Saal spoke, Cosmo stepped forward.

_Cosmo knows brother Peter's light very well, and will be keeping very close eye in it. Will be able to sense distress or misdeeds, even from great distance such as this. Ego will have very hard time doing anything that Cosmo is not immediately aware of._

"Learning to use the light within may be a stressful process," Ego said. "Do you intend to sound the alarm every time he is faced with growth? That will quickly become exhausting for everyone."

 _Then Cosmo would suggest Ego avoid, how you say, pushing it._ Cosmo's lip lifted into a sneer which Ego visibly struggled not to return.

"Hold on. I agreed to come to your planet to protect my friends," Peter spoke up. "But I never agreed to let you hook me back up to the light or teach me anything."

"Do you really think you're in any position to be passing up such an opportunity?" Ego turned his piercing eyes on Peter. "Do you intend to live off of the pity of these mortals indefinitely? They can't protect you forever. They'll die trying." Ego's eyes swept over the Guardians. "It looks like they're half-way there already."

Guilt churned Peter's guts as Ego once again struck a raw nerve. It was true. He'd nearly lead them all to their deaths on Traxxon III, and hadn't stopped beating himself up over it since. The image of Gamora's eyes, wide with shock and just the barest flicker of fear just before she'd been swept out into the red sky, was burned into his mind and haunted him whenever he closed his eyes. They had all suffered terrible injuries, even Rocket who still moved with a faint but definite stiffness.

If Peter was more powerful, could he have prevented any of it? It wasn't the first time he had asked himself this question. Since even before Ego's appearance in the court he had tentatively entertained the idea of learning to use his light. Cosmo had been able to hold his own against Ronan, at least for a while, and even done some damage to the Kree warlord, something none of the other Guardians could boast, separately or together. More than that, Cosmo's powers had saved their butts on many occasions in their brief time together. If Peter could use powers like that, he might have been able to save Rocket earlier. He might have been able to save Gamora, or at least stopped her, before she contacted Korath. He might have been able to do something other than twiddle his thumbs and wait for rescue on the Oasis.

The thought of being able to take control again was tempting. He was so sick of becoming everyone's prisoner here, and it hadn't been lost on him how much his allies had suffered to save him at every turn. But how could he trust Ego not to use that for his own gain? There was no way the Celestial was doing this out of the goodness of his self-made heart. He had to have an angle, Peter just, for the life of him, couldn't figure out what it was.

Peter cast a look at his friends. The Guardians, the original ones, back together again, but hardly any better off for it. They all stood apart from each other. Drax's chest wound stood stark and ugly across his bare chest, the staples glinting in the light. Nebula caught his attention, meeting his desperate eyes with a calmness that he clung to like an island in a raging sea. He took a slow breath through his nose like Gamora had once taught him, focused on Nebula's steady gaze, and tried to shed some of the panic bubbling within him and clouding his mind. 'There's a difference between trusting someone and using them,' Nebula had said and the words echoed back at him now. The thought of trusting his father was madness, but using him... Peter thought he could find a way to live with that. He sucked in another deep breath like he was preparing to dive into an actual ocean, and turned back to Ego.

"Alright," He breathed out. "I'll learn to use the light. But I'll have my own terms. And when it's time for us to leave, I want Mantis to come with us."

"You can have her," Ego said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Behind him, Mantis startled and snapped her head up to look at the celestial with huge eyes. Her mouth opened as though to protest, then she seemed to catch herself and shut it again, ducking her head back down and fiddling with her fingers with a renewed energy.

"Just like that?" Peter asked. He had expected his father to argue the terms more, to extract some worse payment in exchange for Mantis's freedom. Instead, it felt like Ego was telling him he was welcome to the chips in the cupboard.

"Of course," Ego huffed. "I think we both know where her true loyalties lie."

Behind him, Mantis was looking increasingly confused and worried, and Peter wished he could offer her some sort of comfort. But she was glancing between her hands and Ego, and Peter could not even catch her eye to offer her a reassuring smile.

"If that's how you feel, then why keep her around?" After worrying so long about whether Mantis was even alive at all, and after everything the other Guardians had been though in this horrible reality, finding her so relatively well off felt more than a little suspect.

"You are cursed with the sentimentality of those mortals you love so much." The disapproval in Ego's voice was clear. "I figured you'd be back to try to save her if nothing else, so of course I kept her around."

"As a hostage?" Gamora cut in.

"As a _peace offering_."

"Regardless of your motives," Saal cut back in. "We are in agreement that she will be free to go when we retrieve Peter and the rest of the Guardians. The Nova Corps will not tolerate any deviation from these terms. The repercussions will be immediate and final. Have you any objections?"

"No," Ego breathed. "So are we done here?"

Peter could see the muscles in Saal's neck move as he clenched his jaw. Obviously, Saal was buying about as much of Ego's act as Peter himself, but he'd come too far, the Nova Prime couldn't return with the Guardians without handing over a large portion of his credibility, and probably his power, to the Council.

"Yes. I believe we are done."

A wet nose pressed against the side of Peter's hand, causing him to jump.

 _Be very careful, brother Peter._ Cosmo was staring up at him, his warm copper eyes shimmering with just the faintest traces of unnatural light. _Not just of Ego. Peter will be safe enough in Blinding place, there is nothing left there to find, and Peter is strong, but remember, do not cross into the Blind place. There are too many things that would steal your fire, and many more who would snuff it out. They cannot help themselves. Mindless things so fear the unknown._

"The 'Blind place?'" Came a derisive snort from where Ego stood watching their interaction through narrowed eyes. "How quaint. It is none of your business what I do with my son, dog, but I will not be leading him into the Nothing." Ego spat out the last word like it was something filthy. "That is no place for creatures of the Light."

 _No one plans for every step of their journey._ Cosmo told Peter. _Be careful._

With that he stepped away and joined the ring of Nova Crewmen who were busy removing the restraints from the assassins. As Rocket's cuffs were removed he feinted a snap at the hands of the nearest Denerian who flinched back, one hand reaching for his weapon. Before things could escalate, Cosmo gave the raccoon a viscous snarl, his eyes glowing dangerously. Rocket seemed to take the threat and turned away from his victim to join the rest of the Guardians at the door to the air locked loading bay which would lead to Ego's ship, spitting at Cosmo's feet as he passed.

"Wait!" Peter said when Saal looked back like he was expecting Peter to go next. "I want his collar off."

Peter glanced over at Dey who he was pretty sure still had the remote.

"This again?" Saal growled.

"There's no reason for him to wear it on Ego's planet," Peter argued, drawing himself up to his full height and trying to match Saal's hard stare with one of his own. "There's nothing he can do, and you won't even be there to use it."

"And if Experiment 89P13 attacks one of you?"

"He won't." Peter's declaration was met with a derisive snort from the raccoon, so he quickly amended. "If he does, we'll handle it. Ourselves. No collars involved."

Saal held his gaze for several beats, and Peter did his best to convey how serious he was being. He was rarely serious, so it wasn't his best expression, but it must have worked, because Saal was the first to cave, relaxing with a sigh.

"Very well. You may remove it for his internment on the planet. We will see what he does with this freedom."

Dey stepped forward, but licked his lips and held the remote up for Peter to see.

"I don't know how to do that," He confessed with a guilty shrug of his shoulders.

Peter looked back at Nebula for help, but she just twisted her lips into a frown and rolled one shoulder into a small shrug of her own.

"Gamora?" Peter turned his eyes on the older sister. "You know the codes for that thing, right?"

"Yes..." Gamora answered hesitantly. She had been studying Rocket with her brows drawn tightly together, and suddenly Peter was worried Gamora was going to refuse, or pretend she didn't know how to remove it. "It's complicated," She finally said, stepping back towards Dey with her palm outstretched. "Thanos didn't want him to be able to remove it on his own. Please allow me."

Rocket was standing very still now, watching everything through narrowed eyes. Other than his twitching tail, he strongly resembled a lifelike statue.

Dey turned to Saal, who nodded his approval, before handing it over to Gamora, watching carefully as she began inputting some sort of complicated code. Peter nearly forgot to breath as he watched as well, only remembering when his lungs began to burn in protest. After some time, which probably wasn't quite as much time as it felt, the little screen at the bottom lit up with a little chirrup and Gamora pressed her thumb against it.

Peter glanced back at Rocket. His ears were pricked forward and his eyes had grown huge. After a moment, Peter realized there was a tremble coursing through Rocket's entire body, in anticipation or disbelief, Peter couldn't be sure.

"Nebula," Gamora's voice was soft, and almost tentative, if one knew Gamora very, very well, but from the corner of his eye Peter could still see the younger sister stiffen and narrow her eyes at the adress. "The panel on the back of the collar. It will only release to one of Thanos's children."

Rocket made no move to acknowledge Nebula when she first reached down and wrapped her hand around the back of his collar. The red light underneath his chin blinked rapidly and gave out a little beep, which Rocket visibly flinched at, then popped open. Rocket returned to his frozen state as Nebula gave the collar a cursory inspection then handed it to the nearest Nova Crew member. Even the trembling had stopped.

"Rocket?" Peter asked, worried that the raccoon had simply stopped breathing altogether.

Rocket didn't answer. His jaw was hanging slightly slack, and a small trembling hand raised up towards his neck. The fur where the collar had sat was rumpled and stuck out in odd directions.

"Rocket are you Okay?"

Rocket suddenly shook himself from his stupor. His eyes darted between Dey and the man holding his collar, then he turned and vanished into the airlock without a word.

"Well," Ego said with a smile, "I believe that would be our signal to leave."

-x-

The ride down to Ego's planet was short and surprisingly uneventful. Ego, for all his eagerness to be on their way, seemed content to ignore Peter in favor of piloting his ship. Mantis had fretted for a moment over where to go, but had ultimately chosen to follow Ego to the approximate of the flight deck in his oddly shaped craft. Peter wasn't certain, but he thought he had seen a flicker of fear in her eyes when they had landed on him. Maybe demanding she be handed over without so much as a hello wasn't the best way to start off their relationship. If she honestly had no idea who he was or that this was the wrong timeline, his attempts to rescue her might more closely resemble a kidnapping from her point of view.

Rocket had vanished again to some far corner, perhaps afraid someone might change their mind about his collar, or perhaps just enjoying not being stuck in a cell for the time being. Nebula was leaning against a wall at a distance, arms crossed and quietly studying the ship with offhanded fascination. Everyone else had taken a seat on the same couch Peter recalled from his last time.

Peter stared up at the ceiling, slumped back on the couch as well, one leg thrown over the other and his hands linked together over his stomach. As he fiddled absently with his Walkman, one thought scraped at the back of his head.

"Yondu's gonna kill me."

**End**

.

 **Chapter 9 Preview:** "... _At the mention of her name, Mantis seemed to brighten, lifting her head up to smile at Drax with her hands clasped together._

_"I would be very happy to share them with you!" She said eagerly. "I can even show you my favorite ways to prepare them, and what tastes best together!"_

_Here, she made the rather unfortunate mistake of turning towards Nebula next_..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was actually done on time, but I was so tired and grumpy after work last night I didn't have the energy to do final edits and post it. I was also hemming and hawing over the title, since I decided the song I had planned on didn't quite work here after all and had to find a new one.
> 
> Sorry.
> 
> So many people were worried over what was going to happen to Mantis in the Astronautical-verse I almost feel like I may have disappointed you guys with what I had planned all along. lol I guess because we don't really get to see much of her development with the Guardians in the movies I didn't feel the need to change it too drastically to avoid just rehashing the canon. How she settles in and interacts will still change a bit, as this is a very different crew, and she is meeting them under different circumstances, but she will be a part of the main Guardians again, and will be getting plenty of her own character growth and development along with them. Her and Peter get an awkward start this time. xD Poor Peter. Thankfully, unlike most of the other Guardians, she's forgiving.
> 
> And it took an entire book, but Peter finally got Rocket free of that Collar!
> 
> It's a very dialogue heavy chapter, and nearly all one long scene, but it's full of hints and nudges and some vague foreshadowing for future events/arcs.
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Next chapter will have more Guardians/Ego interactions and should be the more comfortable mix of serious and lighthearted that I prefer writing.
> 
> ~OMaM


	9. All of Your Flaws, and All of My Flaws

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"All of your flaws, and all of my flaws, they lie there hand in hand_
> 
> _Ones we've inherited, ones that we learn, they pass from man to man."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late again! I'm sorry. I have a good reason and a not so good reason this time, but more info after the chapter.
> 
> Title is from "Flaws" by Bastille
> 
> Characters and GotG belong to Marvel.

Touchdown on Ego's planet came quickly and with a dizzying sense of dejavu.

"You made all of this?" Gamora asked as Ego steered the same little open air shuttle from their visit before over the open canyon that divided where the ship had docked and his strange cathedral-like house. Peter was fairly certain Ego could have chosen to land much closer to the building, to simply move the dock onto the extravagant court in front of his home, or in any of the numerous fields beyond if he'd wanted to, but couldn't resist showing off.

It had been a bitter pill to swallow when Peter had been forced to come to terms with the realization that the charm and wit he had always been so proud of had come from the monster standing before him now. Since he was a child, he had dreamed of meeting his father; a suave, hansom man- a hero straight from the movie screens and comic book panels of his childhood. When Ego had stepped from his spaceship on the planet Berhert with that dazzling smile and brilliant charm, Peter had thought all of his wildest childhood day-dreams had come true. He had been so proud to call this man father. Peter had seen his own smile shining back at him, and heard his own words rolled off of a golden tongue and it was like, for the first time since leaving Earth and losing his mother, he had somewhere he belonged, and someone he belonged to in the way he had only dreamed of for so many years. The comparison that had so elated him upon discovery now disgusted him in ways that were difficult to describe.

"Yes," Ego answered proudly. "Everything from the dirt to the plants, to the atmosphere around you."

Seeing Ego smile at Gamora, and knowing that he had given her that very same smile, was like having a slug crawl up the back of his throat.

Mantis had been standing mutely at Ego's shoulder, observing the visitors from under her thick lashes. When she looked his way and noticed Peter's dark expression she quickly dropped her eyes back to her feet and shuffled just a little closer to the ancient Celestial.

Damnit! Peter mentally kicked himself, and tried to force his face to relax.

Oblivious to Peter's inner turmoil, Drax was leaning over the side of their platform to get a better view of the intricacies around them and in the canyon below.

"So if we eat or drink something here, it's like we're eating you?" Drax spun to look at Peter with eyes bright with sudden understanding. "So that is why the ravagers wished to eat you! They thought you could create food and provide a source of nourishment!"

"What!? No!" Peter gaped. "They didn't even know what I-that doesn't make any sense. And why are you even still thinking about that?"

"I would not forget something so quickly." Drax seemed offended by Peter's supposed insult. "I have a very good memory. Besides, you said Yondu was aware of your heritage, did you not?"

While Peter gaped helplessly for an answer Ego broke back in with a chuckle.

"Yes, Drax, if you were to eat something on this planet you would technically be eating a part of me, and it would provide a... sort of nourishment, but everything here is purely, what you mortals would call, ornamental, and it would not sustain you for long. I have taken to keeping supplies around for Mantis. You will be welcome to those for the time being."

At the mention of her name, Mantis seemed to brighten, lifting her head up to smile at Drax with her hands clasped together.

"I would be very happy to share them with you!" She said eagerly. "I can even show you my favorite ways to prepare them, and what tastes best together!"

Here, she made the rather unfortunate mistake of turning towards Nebula next.

"Would you like to-?"

"No." Came the reply that was all but snarled out.

Mantis flinched back as though physically struck, immediately casting her eyes back to the floor and hunching her shoulders like she could hide behind them.

"Okay," She said meekly. "I am sorry."

"Do not mind her," Drax soothed between bouts of laughter. "She is famously grumpy, and hates everyone."

"Ah, yes..." Ego breathed, placing one hand on his beard and tilting his head to look at Nebula. "I believe I remember you from last time. Weren't you trying to kill the other one?"

Nebula turned a heated glare on the Celestial.

"And failing, so I've been told," She growled out.

"Not failing," Gamora surprised Peter by speaking up on her sister's behalf. "You chose to stop the mindless violence- to make amends. Nebula we could-"

"Well don't expect anything like that to happen this time around." Nebula's eyes were dark and cold when they turned on her sister.

"I just-"

Nebula turned away from her sister before she could finish whatever she was trying to say, shouldering past Peter to stand on the furthest side of the horse-shoe shaped glider and watch the passing landscape with her back turned. The rest of their short shuttle ride lapsed into silence.

As they approached the cliff edge of the open court in front of Ego's cathedral, for lack of better word, the edges of the stonework and shuttle bloomed into a mess of bright tendrils which wrapped together to form a bridge. Ego lead them over, his boots hardly making contact with solid ground before Rocket, who had been trapped on the shuttle for fear of falling to his death below, was shooting past him and taking off like his namesake would imply.

"Hey! Rocket!" Peter shouted, jostling forward and shoving past Mantis to give chase.

Ego held up an arm to stop him.

"Let him go," He said. "There is nothing out there. He will have to come back here for food eventually."

"But-"

"That is why your here isn't it?" Ego asked, tilting his head and raising his brows to stare at Peter like an unruly child. "I will know if he comes to any trouble of his own, otherwise there is nothing to worry about. Unless you want me to build him a cage here as well?"

"No." Peter stiffened. "No, never mind."

-x-

The tour of Ego's home was much less grand this time around. Peter already knew his origin story, both the abridged and the extended version, featuring all of Ego's thousands of other 'loves' from across the universe, and apparently his father felt no need to be quite so grandeur for his mortal guests.

"So when are you going to tell us the real reason you want Peter here?" Gamora asked as the tour -really just a lap around the large central building and pointing out several landmarks through the windows to stay away from- was winding down and the group began to turn back the way they had come.

Ego laughed, not the least disturbed by the sudden interrogation. "It is just as I said; I want to teach Peter to use the light within him. You are so eager to find malicious motives in me. Perhaps I just don't like the sudden interest your father has taken in my son."

Gamora stiffened and Ego grinned in small triumph over having caught her off-guard.

"Yes, dear," He said. "I know exactly who you are."

"What do you know of Thanos?" Nebula spoke up, narrowing her eyes in suspicion at the back of Ego's head.

"Enough," Ego shrugged dismissively. "There was a time, when I was new to the universe and desperate for any sort of intelligent companionship, that I heard rumors of another Immortal and thought to seek out the source. You cannot fathom my disappointment when it turned out to be nothing more than that spoiled brat of a Titan."

Nebula turned away, apparently satisfied by the answer, and Peter didn't miss the way the edges of her lips curled into an appreciative sort of smile at the insult. An ugly knot of jealousy twisted in his gut at the sight. Some petty part of him revolted at the thought of his friends smiling at anything his dirt bag of a father said.

"You've met him?" Gamora asked in surprise.

"We've crossed paths a handful of times," Ego answered vaguely. "It was inevitable as I worked towards the Expansion and he grew more deliberate in his own march across the universe. On an occasion or two I would arrive at a planet to plant the seedling of my core and find he had already destroyed the populace. I suppose you could say that until now Thanos and I have always held a... mutual disinterest in each other, though." He paused here tilt his head and glance at Mantis. "The last time we met, I believe, was when I found Mantis among the wreckage of his latest conquest."

Mantis made a tiny squeaking gasp as all eyes turned on her. She seemed just as surprised by this news as the rest of the Guardians.

"You never told me that," Peter said.

"I did not know," She breathed. "I do not remember much of my time there. I was orphaned..." Her brows drew together tightly as she worried through her memories. "I remember being alone, and Ego coming..."

"Yes," Ego hummed, unconcerned by her rising panic at his rather sudden revelation of her past. "I believe you were discarded from their society long before Thanos came. Perhaps you were defective. Whatever the reason, it is likely because of that that you were not exterminated along with the rest of your kind."

"So-"

"Your companions are welcome to the same set of rooms you used last time," Ego announced as they made their way back outside and down the familiar path through the seemingly endless gardens, cutting off Gamora's next question and bringing their conversation to a clear end. "There are twenty four or so in total, so I believe they should be more than adequate. I do not care where any of you go or what any of you do, as long as you, Peter, are present for our lessons."

"Which will be?" Peter asked.

"As soon as you are rested enough to survive the experience."

Peter glanced up at the sun shining above them. It was just a couple hands past the center of the sky, but on the Starbust it had nearly been the midnight portion of the cycle when they had left. Peter hadn't even eaten dinner, so caught up in the shock and nausea of the events of the evening. His nerves and adrenaline were keeping him on his feet, and almost too alert, for the time being, but being asked to harness any light inside of him right now would probably just do him in.

"For tonight, you may settle in and take your rest. We will begin at dawn."

Peter's disbelief must have been plain across his face because when Ego looked at him he broke into another brief bout of easy laughter.

"We have time," Ego said, his teeth flashing in the bright light as he smiled. "We are immortal, after all."

Ego left shortly after his unsettling proclamation, leaving Mantis behind to show the Guardians their way around the rooms. There were plenty for each of them to have their own, including Groot, who quickly claimed the one with the biggest window. Everyone else just grabbed the first one they stumbled upon except for Nebula who stalked off down the airy hallway, probably to find the furthest room possible from the rest of the group.

Peter briefly considered following after her, but his need for sleep overrode his nosiness, and his feet carried him instead to the nearest mattress which he could face plant into.

Drax and Groot would just have to keep the peace until he woke up again.

-x-

"Peter."

Peter woke up alone under a starry sky. Strangely familiar galaxies that he couldn't really place swirled above him. Far too close for this planet to be inhabitable. Peter flexed his fingers and discovered he was laying on grass, his fingers dug into the soft cool dirt beneath. It reminded him of home. It reminded him of nights spent stargazing in his backyard with his mother, making up constellations and adventures he would someday have in them alongside his father. Someday his father would come back for him, and they would explore the stars together.

"Peeeeeeter."

Later, when the stargazing grew more somber and more rare, the dreams would change. Instead of spiriting him away, his father would come to Earth, like a savior from the stars, like a super-hero from Peter's favorite comics -The ones stacked lovingly under his mattress-. He would come and he would march right up to Meredith and say 'My love I heard you were ill, and I have braved all of the dangers of the cosmos to be at your side!' and he would plant a kiss on Meredith Quill's head, like she did for Peter when he was sick, and she would be all better. He would say 'I am sorry, my love, I came as quickly as I could but the forces of evil knew how I longed to save you and conspired to hold me at bay.' and she would say 'I forgive you, my love,' and 'you made it just in time.' and she would smile that smile that was Peter's favorite; the one that seemed to have vanished alongside her hair and the life in her eyes.

"Peeeeeeeeeeeter."

Then she would introduce him to Peter, and he would be so proud of his son and say 'I am done defending the cosmos all alone! I would rather stay here, and take care of you, and look after my son.' and they would be a family. A real one, like Steven Fallon at school had. Except Peter's father was a superhero, a real spaceman, and everyone would call him Star-lord, not just his mother. And his teachers would stop writing comments on his report cards about his imagination that would make the corners of his mother's mouth tug down for just a moment, and no one would ever tease him and call him a liar again.

"PETER!"

Peter startled into a sit, but when he looked around, he found he was all alone on an endless stretch of lawn.

"Hello?" He called out.

"Keep digging, Peter." A voice called back, booming through his chest and vibrating through his bones.

"WHO'S THERE!" Peter shouted, spinning around and seeing nothing but the endless grass, cropped too short for anything to be hiding in.

"You're almost there."

A chill rolled up his spine and Peter could swear the faceless voice was laughing at him.

"Stop it!" Peter spun again, but again found nothing. The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. "Show yourself!"

The answering laughter rolled over the field like thunder. The ground under Peter's boots shuddered and quaked, and a wind whipped up, slashing at his skin and whipping about his clothes.

"Oh, Peter..." The formless voice rattled from within as the whole world flipped and the grass slipped out from beneath Peter, sending him tumbling into the sky below. "I'm right here. I never left you."

The wind still battered at his clothes as he fell into the galaxies. Icy hands seemed to grab at his skin where they slipped underneath his jacket, tugging insistently at his arms and pawing at his neck. Peter began frantically swatting at the phantom hands but couldn't peel them away.

"You just... forgot me for a while." The voice was growing harder to hear under the roar of the wind and Peter's own terror. "It's time to remember."

-x-

Peter woke still screaming and threw himself out of bed and into the doors to his room so hard that they burst open and slammed against the walls with a loud bang that echoed down the hallway as Peter stumbled into the far wall. There, he scrambled back to his feet and darted for the door that lead outside.

The cold night air seemed to ground him in this reality as his frantic dash down the stairs to the gardens slowed to a jog then a walk before he finally collapsed to sit on the bottom step. Bright moonlight dyed everything in shades of silver and blue. It made the world around him feel much larger than he recalled it looking in daylight. Up above, the stars shone bright and clear, and devoid of the colors that distorted his dreams. Phantom touches ghosted across his skin, but this time obediently vanished when he rubbed them away.

He was sitting there counting his breaths and stilling the shivers rolling over his skin when the sound of the doors opening behind him made him turn his head. Drax and Gamora stood at the top of the stairs, the feint silhouette of Groot in the doorway just behind them.

"Peter," Drax's voice rumbled. "What happened, are you alright?"

Drax's blades, which he had refused to surrender to the Nova Corps for the duration of their internment, glinted bright and cold in his hands.

"I'm alright," Peter answered. "It was just a dream."

"A dream?" Drax's shoulders slumped and his expression of concern melted into confusion and maybe a sliver of annoyance. It was hard for Peter to tell through the distance and distorting light.

Peter dropped his head back down and stared at the bandaged hands in his lap, suddenly wishing that Nebula were here so he could talk to her. She already knew about these dreams, and had seemed to believe that they were important as well, or at least not belittled him for believing they were more than his own imaginings.

"Yeah," He said, the fear draining from him at a surprising speed and just leaving exhaustion in his bones and the taste of embarrassment on the back of his tongue. "Just a dream. You can go back to sleep guys, I'm fine."

There was the sound of shuffling and the door closing and Peter thought he had been left alone until a pair of boots began making their way down the steps. When they reached the bottom they stopped, and Drax slumped down to sit at Peter's side, resting his arms on his bent knees as he studied the open landscape.

"Nebula told me of these dreams of yours."

"What?"

"When I visited her before you awoke on the Nova Corp's ship. I believe she was worried about you. Or worried that these dreams would cause you to do something rash while she was interned in the glass prison," Drax said. "They seem to cause you great duress. I told her they were just dreams- you are mad, after all, what else can we expect? But she seemed to believe there may be some truth to your concerns. I would believe your madness had somehow affected her, if not for seeing what Cosmo is capable of with my own eyes. Perhaps... there is something to it."

"So you believe me?" Peter asked.

Drax made a small face at that. "Nebula is too sensible to be taken in by pity. If she believes that there could be a vein of truth in it, then she must have good reason."

Peter heaved a sigh out through his nose, but couldn't help the smile that was forming at the reminder that he wasn't as alone as he often felt. They weren't a family, but he had something almost like a team, and people who cared about him, however hard they pretended not to.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Drax asked, surprising Peter again.

"No," Peter said, scrubbing at his face with the heels of his palms. "All these dreams, it feels like they're all driving me to come here and use the light. I think once the morning comes and Ego's 'lessons' start they'll end for good. I guess he's just getting in his last kicks while he can." Peter still wasn't sure if it really was Ego in these dreams, but who else could it be?

"He's-?

"He's not kicking me in my dreams," Peter interrupted through a yawn. "It's a metaphor."

Drax nodded to himself, like he had suspected as much.

"Do you believe what he told us, that he only intends to teach you to use the light and defend yourself from Thanos?"

"Pfft, no. He's up to something. I know it. I just don't know what. Until we figure it out, though, it's probably better if we play nice and do what he sais. If he tries anything too crazy before then, the Nova Corps will step in but I really don't want to go down that rout. Once I learn to use the light again, if I live that long, I'm pretty sure that I can hold my own against him at least long enough for the Nova Corps to save us before they blow him up. Heck, maybe I can learn to use his ship and we can just leave. "

"You should return to sleep," Drax told him. "You appear exhausted, and you will need to be rested for tomorrow, especially if he is as prone to deceit as you say, and our chances of survival rest on your ability to utilize this light."

Peter flexed his fingers, the ones not broken and braced in place, and watched their shadows against the moonlight on the stonework below.

"What if I just dream again?" He asked.

"They are just dreams," Drax informed him. "And you are used to being teased while you are awake, why let it bother you so much while you are asleep? Eventually you will wake again. And all your night screaming will feel silly."

"Do you ever have bad dreams?" Peter's whispered voice seemed so loud against the silence.

"Yes," Drax answered with a small shrug of his broad shoulders. The staples glinted and sparkled in the moonlight as they moved, and the scar across his shoulder flashed like lightning. "I often dream of my family's death. I suspect I will until I achieve my revenge. But they are only dreams. As soon as I open my eyes, they are no more or less real than when I closed them."

Peter turned back to his hands as he considered this unexpected bout of wisdom from the maniac. He wasn't sure how relevant it was to his current situation. Peter suspected these dreams of his weren't entirely unreal, not in the way Drax meant, but he let himself be soothed by his friend's support.

"When my daughter Kamaria was very little, she would sometimes be frightened by such dreams." Drax's voice broke the silence that had settled over them and startled Peter from his thoughts again.

"At first she would crawl into bed with Hovat and I for comfort. When she was a little older, I told her what I have told you, and she began to write herself messages before falling asleep. I would find them sometimes in the mornings, sitting by her bed..." A small smile warmed Drax's face as he got lost in his memories, making him look like a stranger to Peter. "Simple, nonsensical things, like 'cooking' or 'yesterday was rainy.' For a while, Hovat and I feared she was going mad, but when asked, she confessed she wrote them so that in the mornings she could read them and know she was awake, and anything before then could be forgotten. I did not understand it much, but it seemed to bring her peace. Some nights, I would help her choose the words she would find in the mornings while she prepared for bed."

Peter stared up at Drax through wide eyes. He looked so happy and at peace that Peter wanted to let this moment linger for as long as he could. Not for the first time, Peter wondered what kind of father Drax had been. The love and adoration that filled his face whenever he spoke of his missing family had Peter fairly convinced he must have been a good one. Perhaps there was some sort of irony here, that most of the Guardians were orphans, while Drax was a loving father who had lost his child. But Peter's mind was too tired to find the exact line, so they just sat in silence, without even the sounds of insects to keep them company on Ego's lifeless planet.

Eventually Drax stirred and insisted again that Peter should return to bed.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Peter yawned again as he rose and stretched his cramped limbs. "I think I'm good now. Thanks for staying and helping me clear my head."

"You are welcome," Drax said, inferring Peter's meaning and ignoring the metaphor.

-x-

The rest of the night passed with no more dreams. Peter had considered Drax's advice, but settled for his more usual tactic of listening to his Walkman while he slept. The morning came quickly and with a light knocking at his door.

"Hhhhuuuuu?" Peter groaned, untangling himself from his headphone cords.

"Hello!" Mantis's bright cheery voice rang through the copper tinted door. "Ego has asked me to see that you are awake!"

Some mutinous part of him wanted to send her away and spend the day face-first in his pillow, but he probably didn't want to know what would happen if he backed out of his promise now. His friends were safe from the immediate threat of the justice of the Nova Corps, but now they were under the mercy of a much more powerful and much less empathetic creature.

"I'm up," Peter groaned as he kicked his sheets off and searched for his boots.

Mantis was waiting patiently for him in the hallway when he'd gathered himself enough to emerge.

"Hello!" She said again, her smile was bright but wavered with uncertainty, and her hands were clasped tightly over her chest. "Ego said, that as a mortal for now, you would need to eat to gain strength for your work. I can show you to where I have prepared a breakfast, and Ego will meet us there..." She tucked her head down as she trailed off.

"Breakfast sounds good," Peter admitted. "Let me just wake the others."

Mantis opened her mouth as if to protest as Peter turned towards Drax's door, but snapped her mouth back shut and ducked her head in wait. One by one, Peter roused his friends to the promise of food, then struck off down the hallway in search of whatever far-removed corner Nebula had holed herself off in. As he expected, the door to the furthest room on the right was the only one closed, but when he knocked no answer came.

"Nebula?" He called. "Come on, it's breakfast. If Ego's going to kill me in a couple hours, a last meal with all of my friends would be nice."

Still nothing.

"Nebula?" Peter pressed his ear against the door, not even the sounds of rustling. A wave of fear washed hot over his skin. What if something had happened to her? What if this was the start of something terrible Ego had planned for all of his friends? It was no secret he didn't like them or want them here. "Nebula?" He tried again, pounding a little louder now. "I'm going to open the door, Okay? If you're in there, please don't break my nose."

The doors on Ego's planets didn't have locks, -probably because they would be completely pointless on a planet inhabited solely by an entity that controlled every atom and his personal assistant- so it opened with a light tug. Inside, the room was empty and untouched. The blankets on the bed were still folded and tucked around the edges. Peter took a quick lap around the sparsely decorated room and poked his head out the window, but found no evidence of someone having stayed the night here.

"Hey guys?" Peter called ahead of himself as he jogged back down towards the others and tried to keep the rising panic in check. "Guys, has anyone seen Nebula? I can't find her."

"The famously grumpy one?" Mantis asked. "She has already eaten. I am sorry, is it customary to wait where you are from?"

"She already ate? Where is she now?"

"I do not know." Mantis shrugged her shoulders tightly. Her voice was beginning to grow small again and she was curling in on herself as though she expected Peter to be angry. "You could ask Ego when you see him. He knows where everything is on this planet."

"But she's okay?" Peter asked. "She was okay when you saw her?" Maybe he was a bit jumpy, but he had a bad tract record of keeping his people alive here, and trusted his father less than he would a rabid orlani. "Her room didn't even look touched, why would she just wander off like that?"

Drax let out a loud snort. "That sounds exactly like something she would do." He said, not looking remotely concerned himself. "She has been trapped in a box with her sister for cycles. Even the Milano allowed for some measure of privacy. Let her enjoy some solitude."

Gamora gave the ex-gladiator an annoyed look from the corner of her eyes, but voiced no protest outright. There wasn't anything she could say to contradict him.

"I am groot." Groot offered his support to Drax's point as well.

Peter forced himself to drop the issue for now and Mantis quickly, and meekly, ushered them out the doors and back down the path to the main building.

"So tell us, strange insect lady," Drax said as they strolled through the silent gardens. "How long have you been living here as Peter's father's pet?"

"Pet?" Mantis asked, turning her huge eyes up in curiosity.

"Yes. You are a strange pet. Most pets are chosen for their companionship or beauty, yet Ego clearly has no need for companionship, and you are hideous."

"Dude!" Peter snapped.

Even Gamora had turned to give Drax a strange look at his declaration.

"I am hideous?" Mantis asked again, more like she was feeling out the word than concerned by the revelation in any way.

"You are disgusting to look upon." Drax nodded.

"Enough," Gamora spoke up sharply, then, more softly she added, "You are not hideous."

Mantis turned her eyes on Gamora, still perplexed by what was going on.

"Why do you think she's hideous, Drax?" Peter's curiosity was warring with his annoyance. His Drax had felt much the same way, though the friendship between Drax and Mantis had never suffered for his opinion on her looks, and Peter had always just chalked it up as one of his many eccentricities.

"Look at her!" Drax turned to walk sideways so he could wave at all of Mantis with both hands. "She is like a skinned Plasar beast. She has no muscle, no scars, no evidence of having ever lived. On my planet, this is considered the mark of the lazy and cowardly. Even invalids and Cripples earn their marks through their own deeds and personal battles. Even you and Gamora bear scars from your time. To look upon her disturbs me."

While he spoke, Mantis held up her own hands to inspect them, turning them over several times, as though in search of some imperfection that would prove his words a lie. When she found none, she pursed her lips into a worried frown and traced one delicate hand over the perfectly smooth skin of her face.

"I have lived," She said softly, but she sounded uncertain. "I have lived and breathed a very long time, and I have visited many countless planets, and seen many wonderful things with Ego."

"But were you a part of them?" Drax asked. "Or did you simply trail after Ego and watch from afar like a well-behaved pet?"

Mantis didn't answer, swallowing thickly and tucking her hands against her collarbone while she stared ahead at nothing through wide shimmering eyes.

-x-

Breakfast turned out to be pleasant enough, if Peter could forget the upcoming session with his father, looming like a great tidal wave over his back as he ate. Mantis had lead them to an airy greenhouse-like room. Vibrant green and rustic red vines crept along the glass walls and filtered the sunlight into a pleasant verdant shade. A long table sat in the center, set with a respectable breakfast display. Most of what was present was made from things obviously designed to store for extended periods of time, but there was enough variety to keep it interesting.

"How long have you lived on this planet?" Gamora asked while she inspected the food on her plate. "You never answered that part."

Mantis seemed to have shaken off the effects of their earlier conversation in favor of enjoying having company at breakfast.

"I do not know exactly," She answered with a soft tilt of her head. "I have never really needed to keep track of time here."

"Does this planet have seasons?" Drax asked, scarfing down his own food with no reserve.

"Everything here is as Ego wants it. He likes it to remain consistent, but sometimes, if he is very bored, or upset, he can change the weather or length of the day."

"Can he make a tornado?" Drax asked, finally pausing in his eating.

Mantis nodded. "He controls everything here," She repeated.

The conversation continued on like that for a while, with Drax asking about all manner of weather phenomena and Mantis nodding along. Occasionally she would offer some short story about a time she had seen or experienced such weather, either on Ego's planet, or on another world they had visited. Sometimes Drax would offer his own experiences in return. Peter mostly picked at his own plate and translated the occasional question or comment from Groot.

He'd managed to finish off about half of his plate before he realized everything had fallen silent and looked up to find Mantis staring at him expectantly. She must have asked him something and he'd missed it.

"What?" He asked, forcing himself to pay attention again.

"Can you... really use the light?" Mantis asked.

"Yeah. Sort of. I used it before, at least."

"Oh." Mantis pressed her lips into a thin line. She slowly lowered her utensils, settling them on her plate with a little clink, then her hands slipped down onto her lap where she fiddled restlessly with one of her sleeves. "Do you..." She gulped, lowering her voice into the barest whisper and glancing around with wide darting eyes like she expecting Ego to appear at any second. "Do you know-"

"I know about the Expansion," Peter cut her off before she had to say it out loud. She had betrayed Ego to save him and his friends once. He appreciated that she was willing to do it again, but wouldn't make her this time around, not when they were going to be trapped here with the egomaniac for the foreseeable future. "And about my... about Ego's other children."

"And yet, you still came?" Underneath the question, Peter thought he saw a spark of fear again. Maybe she was worried that Peter was just like Ego.

"I didn't have a choice."

"Oh, Peter," A cold voice rang out from just behind him. "You don't need to be such a martyr about it."

Peter spun in his chair to find his father standing in the doorway, haloed in the bright light from outside.

"Well, are you ready?"

**End**

**Chapter 10 Preview:** "... _Peter narrowed his eyes at the Celestial before him._

_"You weren't feeling this patient the last time we met. Why the sudden Ghandi act?"_

_The wrinkles on Ego's forehead deepened at Peter's reference, but after a moment he must have decided he simply didn't care and brushed it off._

_"Do you know what happens to a Celestial when they die?" Ego asked..."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The good reason, because it's much more interesting; I have officially begun writing the Earth book. (yay!) It'll still be a little while before it's up. I'm hoping to have a few chapters done before I begin uploading them, and have a few more things I need to make sure fit together. Since I'll be trying to organize so many characters into a limited time frame I'm trying out working off of an outline for that book. It will begin a little before this one, (about a year) and encompass a larger time frame. It will also follow different character sets, rather than one individual character like Astronautical and Luciferous. Hopefully I can do all of the lead characters justice.
> 
> Updates for Luciferous might be a little slower as I work on the other book. I can only get so much writing done in one week! This week between the two stories I'd written about 9k by Wednesday which is a lot for me. Eventually I might begin updating on a rotating schedule, but that's a 'we'll see' right now.
> 
> It is very hard to make Rocket cooperate. He will be back quickly this time, and then we get to begin his main arc. I also might have an aside centered around what Rocket and Nebula are up to during their time apart here, but it'll depend on how much free time I have and how inspired I get. The Guardians need to hurry up and get some more bonding experiences done so I can stop having to scheme so hard to keep them together.
> 
> For some reason, I had it in my brain that Mantis had said that Ego found her after her planet had been destroyed, and only realized after writing that part when I caught that scene while checking something else that she said 'Ego found me orphaned on my home planet' and was like 'Oops! That could really mean anything, couldn't it?' I mean, she can't be the only orphan or sob story he ever met during his travels, so why did he take her? Did Ego adopt her because during his visit to her planet he discovered what her people were capable of and that she would be useful? Was she alone among the wreckage, the last of her kind, and orphaned in a way that reminded him painfully of his own existence? Did he pity her and take her with the intention of dumping her off on the next planet and then end up discovering her usefulness later on? Has he done this before? Are some of those skeletons in the caves below not his own children(Doubt this one, but made me wonder)? I could go on chasing theories forever. I almost went back and changed it but I was tired and it was already a part of the plot, so ultimately I decided it didn't matter, edited it a bit and moved on. It's easy enough to consider that how he found her in this universe may be different than the last.
> 
> For anyone wondering, Ego's and Cosmo's memories of the old universe began/came back at the same time Peter's did. Everything else Ego did in this universe was with no knowledge yet of what had conspired in the other. This will be mentioned in the next chapter, but it's not really a spoiler. I just didn't get around to mentioning it in this one. The exact mechanics might come up later on, but I might wait until the Earth book connects in and I have more scientists to work with.
> 
> I waffled forever on whether or not to remove the part about Drax's daughter. I worry it's too clunky or I'm taking too many liberties with the characters and going to bore you all, but I have some tentative plans to bring it full circle later on and have it come up again, so I ultimately decided to leave it. It's just based off of one of my own coping mechanisms for haunting dreams, especially if I need to get sleep for the next day and can't just spend the night hiding from them with the T.V. on. I have nightmares a lot, and sometimes I think I've woken up, but it's just the next dream. I wake up and die over and over until when I finally wake up I'm not quite sure if it's really over or not(It's like Happy Death Day but much less entertaining.). When this happens, I log onto one of my media accounts and make some sort of vague or nonsensical post or send myself a text, so later I can check if it's still there and know whether or not I was really awake that time. It ultimately does nothing, but it feels like you're doing something, and can be comforting when you wake up for real and read it and know you got free that time, and you're done now.
> 
> Anyways, sorry for rambling.
> 
> This is where the story and universe really start to become mine and I'm really nervous, but thank you for reading and being a part of this with me!
> 
> ~OMaM 3


	10. Like a Stone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>   
> _"I confess, I was lost in the pages of a book full of death;_  
>  Reading how we'll die alone.  
> And if we're good we'll lay to rest, Anywhere we wanna go."  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own GotG.
> 
> This story is made for entertainment purposes only.
> 
> Title is from 'Like a Stone' by Audioslave

** Chapter 10: Like a Stone **

Ego led Peter down a new path through the endless gardens. This one wound its way down to a large open court. The floor was a faded sea-foam marble that his boots made soft scuffing sounds against, and the edges tapered up like an absurdly shallow colosseum until they blended back into the strange plant-life around them. Out here, the decorously arranged flowers and hedges of the upper gardens had morphed into a wilder landscape of trees and bushes. Peter knew if he went out far enough in the other direction, he would find the desert that Gamora had wandered off into the first time, the one Nebula had come crashing down in, and the caves that lead to the mass grave of all of his countless half-siblings.

"Have you tried to access the light since coming to this universe?" Ego asked him as they approached the center of the court.

"No, not really," Peter answered, his hands shoved in his pockets as he followed along.

Ego stopped and turned to face him when they reached the center. "Probably for the best," he hummed. "You have more power than you do control, and not much of either, so even if you did manage to summon something so far away from my core, you're more dangerous to those around you than useful right now."

"Didn't know you cared about the safety of others so much."

"Make no mistake, Peter, I couldn't care less about these mortal parasites of yours. Whether it takes a matter of days or a hundred years, they will all be dead, and you will live on. I have waited countless millennia to not be alone in this universe. A few centuries won't matter much now."

Peter narrowed his eyes at the celestial before him.

"You weren't feeling this patient the last time we met. Why the sudden Ghandi act?"

The wrinkles on Ego's forehead deepened at Peter's reference, but after a moment he must have decided he simply didn't care and brushed it off.

"Do you know what happens to a Celestial when they die?" Ego asked.

"What?" That wasn't quite the answer Peter had expected.

"We draw our powers, our life force, our very sense of being from what could be considered another plane of existence. The Light has existed since long before this universe burst to life, and it will exist long after Entropy has pulled the last thread that holds this reality together. It is what makes us immortal. The reason time does not touch us, and why the stones, other vestiges of existence before... existence, can interact with our powers, rather than consume it. In a way we are made from the same stuff, and the power within them recognizes its own.

"My core is like a doorway to this alternate plane that allows the Light to shine through into this universe, and my consciousness here exists as a projection of that light. That light shines on you, too, and grants you your powers and immortality through me. When you destroyed my core, you shut that door."

"...And trapped you on the other side?" Peter asked slowly.

"Yes." Ego's eyes had a strange misty quality to them as though he was looking into this other plane of existence as he spoke.

"What was there?" Peter breathed.

Ego suddenly shook himself and returned his attention to the immediate reality around him.

"Not much." His usual arrogant drawl had returned, and again Peter had the sense he was hiding something. "The last of the Celestials before me died eons ago. Whatever individuality they may have once possessed has long since been consumed."

"Wait, you said that when you died, this door or whatever shut. But I thought my connection to the Light was why I remembered things the others didn't?"

"Something like you has never existed before. It seems the rules where you are involved get a little blurry. When the door shut, your connection to me was like a little piece of rubble caught in the jam, wedging it open, and a tiny sliver of the Light must have still been leaking through. Enough to hold you together and anchor you in place even as the reality around you was torn apart and sewn back together.

"When Thanos unraveled the last universe and rewrote the time stream, he flung the door back open and I was able to step back through. Like you, my memories returned, and here I am." Ego spread his arms out as he grinned at Peter.

"And we're just so happy to have you," Peter grumbled, stifling a yawn.

"You will be," Ego promised. "In time."

"Can we just get on with it?" Peter snapped, growing increasingly uncomfortable with Ego's dark optimism

"Of course." Ego raised his arm and from the seafoam court beside him a bubble of light bloomed forth, twisting and contorting before settling back down into the shape of the celestial himself. A much larger stone likeness stood in the court now, hands held proudly on his hips and clothes frozen as though rippling in some imaginary breeze. "Let's begin with something simple."

"Simple?" Peter asked dubiously.

"Stone is the easiest element to begin with. Not as volatile as some of the others, and you're not ready for anything as finicky as a plant."

"Great, so... How do I do this exactly?" He had made things before, during his battle with Ego's core, but his memories of that time were tinted and blurred through emotion, and he couldn't really recall how he'd done it.

"Begin by summoning the Light," Ego instructed. "You won't have enough to make something this large yet, so just summon as much as you can."

Peter frowned down at his hands. They felt clumsy and hampered by the bandages wrapped around them. He'd done this before. He could do it again. As he focused on recalling the feeling of the Light dancing between his palms, tiny tendrils of bluish light, like a miniature lightning storm, began to take form. Just like the last time he had been here, and he had made the ball that he and Ego had tossed around the court. A spark of anger flared up at the memory, and the ball of light forming between his fingers crackled and burst outward in a small but violent explosion.

"OUCH!" he yelped, shaking his hands and patting his clothes and hair to make sure nothing had caught fire.

Ego narrowed his eyes and frowned at Peter's failure. "Try again," he ordered. "Focus on your goal."

Peter took a deep breath through his nose and out through his mouth and raised his hands back up.

After several breaths, the lightning began to flicker back into existence and form into a ball in his hands. When the ball had reached the size of a softball he glanced up at Ego to see what he should do next, but Ego said nothing. He was watching the ball of light with silent intensity and Peter took this as prompting to continue drawing on the energy within. When the ball had reached the size of a cantaloupe, at least what Peter remembered a cantaloupe being, he was panting hard and struggling to maintain the shape. This time when Peter looked up Ego met his eyes, but rather than give him any help, he raised his eyebrows as if to say 'that's it?' Another wave of dark emotion washed over Peter and the bubble in his hands again burst like an overinflated balloon. The blast was enough to rock Peter back a step.

Ego let out a deep sigh as Peter recovered his feet.

"Again," he said. "You'll need more than that to create anything worthwhile."

Peter couldn't help the scowl as he recovered his breath and started again. Do it for your friends, he reminded himself. Ego didn't matter. Whatever scheme he was pulling off here, and whatever enjoyment he was getting out of this didn't matter. Peter just needed to stay here long enough to learn to use the Light and then he was gone. The quicker he learned, the quicker this would all be over.

The next time Peter looked up from his work, there was sweat pouring down his face and the ball in his hands was easily the size of a basketball.

Ego studied him for a moment through cold eyes before relenting. "I suppose that will have to do."

Peter didn't have the breath for a sarcastic reply, so he focused on holding the basketball of light together.

"Now focus on what you want it to become," Ego instructed. "Build the image in your mind, then feel it with your hands. It will exist because you will it so."

Peter's eyes were beginning to sting as he stared into the bright light and tried to 'will it so' into a rock. For a moment it seemed to be working. The burning orb shrank and condensed and somehow grew heavier in Peter's hands, even though he wasn't actually touching it.

"Aha!" Peter gasped in elation.

The orb in his hands immediately rippled and shuddered and for a third time blew apart in his arms. This time, at least, Peter thought to shield his face and brace himself so the blow didn't strike him down.

"RRRRRRRRGH!" Peter grunted in frustration, glaring at his empty hands that stung like they'd been slapped. "D'ast it! Why does that keep happening?"

Ego let out a snort. "The Light is nothing more than an extension of yourself. It will be shaped and molded according to your will. If you are distracted, or your will is weak, you will lose control. Try again."

Ego and Peter spent the entire morning and then some in the seafoam court. The sun had crept past the center of the sky and begun its slow descent when Ego finally announced a break and Peter collapsed to his knees. Small, disfigured clumps of dirt and stone littered the ground at his feet. They ranged in size from pebbles to hunks as large as his fist. Some were solid and unyielding to the touch, while others were already crumbling apart. All were equally hideous and formless.

"I think that's plenty for now," the celestial said, kicking several stones out of the way as he approached to stand over Peter. "I believe Mantis and most of your friends are reconvening for lunch. Why don't you join them for now? The Nova Corps should be hailing us soon. I'll come back for you then and we can pick up where we left off."

Peter struggled back to his feet. "Okay," he grunted.

-x-

As Ego had predicted, Peter found most of his team in the same greenhouse dining room he had left them in.

Drax was the first one to notice his entrance and called out a loud greeting.

"Peter! How did it go?"

"Fine," Peter groaned as he shuffled towards the nearest chair and flopped into it. "I think. I stopped trying to blow myself up, so that's good, right?"

Drax grabbed the empty plate from in front of Peter and began filling it with food. "I know nothing of this Light, but I would assume so."

Peter accepted the full plate with gratitude and began shoveling food down like a starving person. A few moments later Gamora placed a cup filled with water down in front of him as well and he chugged half of it down before thanking her.

"How long do you think it will take you to learn?" Gamora asked from where she was leaning against the table and watching him eat.

"A while," Peter sighed into his plate. "But don't worry. We'll get your parents back, I promise. I'm just taking a quick break, Ego wants to work on this some more later..."

"You are exhausted," Drax pointed out. "You should return to your room and rest until then."

"I'm fine," Peter protested.

"I am groot," Groot said, pointing one finger accusingly at Peter's plate.

Peter blinked in confusion at the food that suddenly seemed much closer than he remembered it. "I am not falling asleep in my food," he lied, straightening up and ignoring the disbelieving looks pointed squarely at him.

"I will escort you back to your room, if you are worried you cannot make it on your own," Drax offered. Peter squinted at him, but couldn't quite tell if Drax was being serious or making fun of him.

"No thanks. I think I can make it. Are you sure you guys will be okay if I leave you again?"

"We will be fine," Drax answered. "The bug lady has been showing us around and displaying some of her powers. It has been quite entertaining."

Behind him, Mantis looked positively ecstatic over the small praise.

Peter finished off his plate and the rest of his water and excused himself. The walk back to the rooms they were staying in felt much longer than it had this morning. Just a short nap, he promised himself as he dragged his feet up the steps. He would take a short nap and then go join his friends before Ego came back for him. He was already feeling a little better after eating, so he was sure he didn't need much sleep.

Peter shut his eyes against a huge yawn that made his jaw ache as he shoved the door to his room open and collapsed face-first into his bed.

"That's disgusting," a voice broke into the silence. "You shouldn't sleep with your boots on."

"GODDAMNIT!" Peter screamed, rolling over to fling a pillow as hard as he could at the source of his latest heart attack.

Nebula was in his room, leaning with her hip against the frame of his open window. She had a half-eaten plate of food balanced in one hand and something that looked suspiciously like a fork from Earth in the other. She didn't so much as blink as the poorly aimed pillow bounced harmlessly off her knees.

"What are you doing here, Nebula?" he asked crossly. "This is my room."

"The window was open." She shrugged.

"That's not an invitation."

"You went into my room."

"What?"

"You forgot to close the door again when you left," she told him as she took another bite of her food. "I know it was you. None of the others are that nosy or that stupid."

"Fine," Peter huffed. "I'm sorry I was worried about you, okay? I'd say it won't happen again, but we both know that's a lie."

Nebula opened her mouth, but apparently had no reply for that because after a moment of hesitation she, predictably, changed the subject. "The caves are gone," she supplied instead. "The ones that lead down to his core."

"Gone? Are you sure you looked in the right place."

"I looked where you claimed they would be, and several other places. I spent most of the night traveling the perimeter of these gardens and buildings, but I never found anything like what you described. He must have buried them."

"Well," Peter sighed as he began working off his boots. "I mean, I can't really say I'm surprised he did it. I'm sure whatever defense measures the Nova Corps have planned are assuming he'd be hiding it."

"I'm sure."

"Is that what you were doing all night? Snooping? You could have told someone instead of just vanishing."

"I don't have to report to you," Nebula said, tilting her head to stare down her nose at him.

"No, you don't, but it might keep me from having to barge into your room in the future." Peter got both feet free and tossed his boots into the corner by the door. "We're a team now. You don't have to hide stuff from us, and if you get into trouble, it'd be nice to know where to start looking."

Nebula wrinkled her nose at that. "I am perfectly capable of working on my own. I don't need to be rescued."

"It's a luxury you're going to have to accept eventually," Peter managed to get out around another sizable yawn. "I was a solo outlaw before the Guardians, you know, but it's nice having someone to watch your back. You'll get used to it."

"You mean dependent on it?" Nebula asked, but there was the trace of a smile to her lips, and Peter was pretty confident she was just teasing him right now.

"You know I don't." Peter tactfully ignored the fact that he had wondered just that when first coming to this new universe and finding himself suddenly so alone. "Now can you please leave? I can barely stand up, and don't know how long I have until Ego puts me back to work. A nap might help."

"It certainly can't hurt." Nebula placed the thing that looked suspiciously like a fork from Earth onto her plate with a little clink and pulled something out from one of the small leather pockets on her belt. She held the item up to inspect with a frown and rolled it around in her hand a few times before tossing it onto Peter's bed as she passed towards the door. "This is just awful."

Curious, Peter picked up the item only to discover it was one of his failed stone creations. The lumpy, burbling wad sat heavy in his hand and seemed to mock him as it left little streaks of grey dust on his palm.

"Were you watching us?" Peter asked, but when he looked up she had already vanished into the open hallway. "Y'know there's a fine line between mysterious and creepy, and you're beginning to cross it!" Peter yelled after her before settling the stone onto a nearby table and flopping back onto his bed. He didn't bother with the blankets, just drug a pillow across his face to block out the daylight and tried to forget about the morning's events.

-x-

"Peter."

Peter gasped and shot upright, but when he looked around he found himself in his room on Ego's planet. Daylight streamed through his open window, and no colorful galaxies were in sight.

"Peter, it is time to get up!" Mantis's cheery voice rang through the door, punctuated by several small knocks. "Ego sais that you have a call to take."

As soon as he had shoved his boots back on, Mantis lead him back towards the towering central cathedral. Inside, Ego was waiting for them, standing under a gigantic screen which featured the Nova Prime Saal's frowning face.

"There he is now," Ego said, gesturing at Peter as he and Mantis drew close. "As you can see, he is doing quite well here."

Peter shot a flat look at the back of Ego's head at his bragging tone before addressing the screen. "Hey Saal. We're all still alive down here. How are things up there?"

"Star-lord," Saal's frown relaxed a touch when he spotted Peter. "Are your companions doing well and remaining under control?"

"Uhhhh, yes. Very well, and very, very, under control." If one counted Rocket running wild and free who-knows-where, and Nebula refusing to stick around for more than a passing second as 'under control.' "Everything's great. They're just, uh, busy right now." Actually he had no clue where any of them were if Mantis was with him and Ego.

"Good. Things are largely unchanged on our end. We will continue to monitor your activity, and send another hail at the same time tomorrow."

"We can't wait," Ego grinned, and the screen winked out of existence. His too-bright smile dropped from his face as soon as Saal vanished and he turned back towards Peter. "Good, you're awake, are you ready to continue?"

"Where are my friends?" Peter couldn't help but ask.

Ego paused for a moment, tilting his head as though listening to something far away. "The brute and the green woman are watching the tree play in a fountain, the angry one is asleep in a tree outside of the gardens, and the monkey is ripping apart my ship."

Peter had known Ego was aware of everything on his planet's surface, but actually seeing him use the powers, and the revelation of how easily he could locate everyone, was a bit disturbing. Ego must have misconstrued Peter's worried surprise, however, as he let out a chuckle.

"Relax. There's nothing he can do with the pieces."

"I know," Peter snapped. "And you know their names, why don't you use them?"

"I see no reason to," Ego said. "Why waste the time learning the names of every bug that crosses my path?"

"Never mind, let's just get back to work."

Ego and Peter left Mantis behind and returned to the seafoam court together.

"Gather as much Light as you can.," Ego instructed as he lead the way back to the center of the open space. The failed experiments from earlier were nowhere to be seen, and Peter tried to put them from his mind as well. "Let's see if your rest has revealed any improvement."

Peter took a deep breath and began focusing on the feeling of pulling the Light into existence, and was surprised at how much easier it came to him compared to that morning. By the time he had summoned enough to match the size of a basketball again, he was beginning to sweat, but felt like he could push it for more.

"Don't make it any bigger," Ego's voice cost Peter some focus and the ball wavered, but it didn't burst. "Make it denser."

Peter had no clue how to make a ball of light more dense, but he brushed those volatile thoughts aside before they could distract him and cause another explosion. As he continued to weave light into the orb, he tried to keep it from growing any larger. A strange whine began thrumming through the air and made his blood tingle as the ball wriggled and writhed between his palms.

"Control the Light, Peter," Ego was pacing in circles around Peter as he watched his new struggle. "It's beginning to fray around the edges. If you do not give it proper instruction, it will run wild."

Peter continued to press as much energy as he could into the ball in his hands. Before much longer he felt like he was trying to hold back a flood with his bare hands.

"This is better," Ego hummed, pausing in his slow circles to study Peter's work. "You might be able to make something useful someday. Let's begin working on some finer control now. Try to mold it into something like this." With a flick of his wrist a ball of light flickered to life in Ego's palm and quickly cooled into a polished crystal orb.

Afternoon passed into evening, and Peter hadn't achieved his goal yet, but he was getting closer. His creations were beginning to form into something resembling an orb instead of the wildly unpredictable shapes of before. They no longer crumbled away at his touch, and the stone had taken on a smoother, semi-transparent quality.

He was feeling pretty pleased with himself by the time the air began to cool back down and he was rolling an egg-shaped rock twice the size of his fist between his hands. It was still too foggy to see through with any clarity, but he could make out the shadows of his fingers dancing through it as he passed it back and forth between his palms.

"This is enough for tonight," Ego's voice broke into Peter's admiration of his own work. "You are beginning to summon less Light every time. Get some rest, and tomorrow we will begin working with a more difficult element."

"When am I going to learn to do cool stuff like Cosmo?" Peter asked, glancing up from the heavy crystal egg. Summoning rocks wasn't exactly exciting, and it wouldn't do much to help him in any real way. What was he going to do with a bunch of crystal eggs? Throw them at Thanos's head if they ever met?

Ego's brows scrunched together and he tipped his head in confusion. "Cool stuff?" he asked.

"You know, like, psychic blasts, and mind reading, and moving stuff with my mind." Peter pointed an arm out and wiggled his fingers for emphasis. "Like Cosmo?"

The celestial threw his head back in a loud burst of laughter.

"What?" Peter asked loudly.

"Never, Peter," Ego laughed out. "That's not the kind of celestial you are."

"There are different kinds of celestial?"

Ego's laughter died down to amused chuckling. "There are so many things you don't know about yourself," he said. "Things I could have taught you long ago if Udonta hadn't failed to follow through with our deal." He swept his arm in a wide arc, and tendrils of light burst from the ground beside him, twisting together and taking the form of a great screen held up on an extravagant podium. "In the beginning, the universe was empty, and devoid of life. The Celestials were the first creatures to take form on the mortal plain. They were tasked to become the architects of creation. They built the galaxies and gave root to the lives that would eventually spread like weeds across the cosmos." The black screen became peppered with little white dots as planets and stars took form in the nothing. "To achieve this, there were three kinds of Celestial."

Over the dots came the image of a glowing white humanoid shape. The featureless man had his hands held up in front of his chest, hovering over a circular shape in a pose that strongly resembled what Peter had been doing all day. "The first of these, were the Builders of the Physical World. They created planets and stars, designed systems that could support life and filled the empty universe with beauty." The image of the celestial spread his hands and the orb became a swirling system of planets and stars.

"Next, came the Bringers of Life." Ego waved his arm again and the first celestial vanished, replaced with a new one. This one still had a planet hovering before its chest, but its hands were cupped together under its chin, a small ball of light held within them. "These brought with them the first seeds of life and sprinkled them across the lifeless creations of the Builders' and often guided them into forms resembling our own kind." The celestial leaned forward as though to blow on the ball of light and it burst apart, chunks of light sprinkled across the planet's surface where they morphed into the shapes of all manner of creatures. People and animals sprouted like eager plants from the sparkling seeds.

"Finally, came the Givers." This celestial vanished as well, and the new image resolved into the shape of a great celestial kneeling down in front of an assortment of creatures. This Celestial held a ball of light in their palm as well, but crushed it in their fist and tossed the shards onto the crowd below. Wherever they struck, the people and animals began to glow, as though imbued with Light themselves. "These were the rarest of our kind, but they possessed the ability to gift mortals with special traits and powers." The image zoomed in, and Peter could see a large uniform group of humanoids, all glowing. "Sometimes they would gift entire races, weaving the Light into their DNA, so that it could be passed down from generation to generation." The group of humans waved their arms and a chunk of the stylized ground they stood upon raised obediently. "Mantis comes from such a line. Her people were gifted with emphatic abilities that have remained strong in their blood for all these millennia." The glow faded from all but one of the crowd of people, and all the light-less ones clumped together to face the last glowing member. In fear or in revelation, Peter couldn't tell. "Sometimes, these gifts would occur in individuals instead. That dog of yours, I believe, has been gifted, in an odd sort of way. It is rare that a beast be granted such extreme powers, but not impossible."

"Cosmo said he drank from the celestial head of Knowhere," Peter said. Did the head that made up the city of Knowhere once belong to one of these 'Givers?'

Ego hummed, bringing a hand up to tug at the hair on his chin again. "Strange, that he wasn't overwhelmed and devoured by the Light, but instead managed to internalize and wield it," he murmured. "But, again, I suppose it's not impossible."

"And we are-?" Peter prompted, pretty sure he knew already.

"I," Ego waved his arm again and the screen returned to the image of the first celestial, planet nestled safely in its hands. "Am a Builder, or what was once known as an 'elemental.' As my son, you are this as well. We can control the physical universe around us, and bring into creation physical things as we see fit. But we cannot create intelligent life, and we cannot perform telepathic talents such as your dog. The universe was only created through the combined efforts of these three lines. Celestials were never meant to be alone."

Peter glanced at Ego who was staring at the screen now as well, and was surprised to find the dark shadow of pain in his father's eyes. Before Peter could decide what, if anything, to do with this realization, Ego blinked and it was gone. Again, Peter wondered what Ego had found when he had been locked inside of the Light.

**End**

**Chapter 11 Preview:** "... _If you are planning to take her with us, she will need to know how to defend herself, at least," Gamora narrowed her eyes at him like he was an idiot. "You can't take someone with no real experience into battle against my father. She'll be dead in an instant_..." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is very late, and the next one will probably be just as late as well. The good news is I almost have chapter two of Tenebris (My working title for the Earth book) finished, and I've begun the rehaul of Astronautical. I'm just updated and fixing stuff like my dialogue tags and making sure I wrote 'star-lord' instead of the many other ways I miswrote it in the beginning before someone was nice enough to let me know which one was correct. That sort of stuff. So no one needs to re-read anything. I just wanted to get all those little things fixed before I posted Tenebris. Then I can finally add up the epilogue/chapter 22 of the first book Astronautical and list it as complete and that won't be breathing down my neck anymore.
> 
> The Ego arc is a big info dump arc, and begins to draw the story into the surrounding universe a little more. Here we get the first one, the reveal that there are different 'kinds' of celestials. In the comics, Peter's father isn't a celestial, he's the king of a race of aliens, and has elemental powers, and Ego is a living planet with no relation to either Peter or celestials(He's a villian for the Fantastic 4, I think?), so there was a lot of room to interpret things in the MCU. I decided on this three part system because it can be used to tie up a lot of loose threads in the storyline after the next couple of major plot reveals in the upcoming chapters, and can begin linking this storyline into the broader picture. And, selfishly, because it always bugs me in stories involving hundreds of alien races when every last one of them just so happens to be extremely human in appearance. I get for obvious budget reasons that the MCU wouldn't want to waste money and resources on including unnecessarily dramatic races, and in the comics the aliens are all very human for the most part, but, by having the celestials using themselves as a sort of template for life, I can make a personal peace with the fact that so many thousands of alien races are structurally so similar. It's not really super plot relevant or important, but it makes me happy.
> 
> lol, personal notes aside, I think once the next couple of 'aha' moments are met, things will start tying together nicely and the Guardians can begin returning to the main plot with a clearer picture of what's going on here and get some sorely needed answers.
> 
> Thank you everyone for your continued patience and support!
> 
> Your beautiful comments always make my day and keep me smiling.
> 
>  
> 
> -OMaM


	11. No One's Here to Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Here's the pride before the fall._
> 
> _Oh your eyes they show it all._
> 
> _I can see it coming, I can see it coming._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from 'No One's Here to Sleep' by Naughty Bot ft. Bastille
> 
> GotG and characters belong to Marvel.

**Chapter 11: No One's Here to Sleep**

"So you and your father are an element? I have never heard of such a thing as a living creature being an element."

"Elementals, Drax, we're Elementals, apparently, which just means we can control the elements or something like that. I'd never heard of it either."

The rest of the Guardians, minus Rocket, were eating dinner with Peter as he shared the information he had learned with them. Even Nebula, who had joined him on his walk back, had decided to stay to hear his news, though she made a rather obvious point about staying far away from her sister.

"And Cosmo has his powers drawn from one of these... 'Givers?'" Nebula asked from her seat next to Drax.

"Yeah. Ego said drinking from the head on Knowhere should have killed him but, it's not completely unheard of for this to happen. He was just lucky I guess."

Nebula pursed her lips in disapproval at the mention of luck. "This does explain a few things," she murmured.

"How is your progress with your own powers going?" Gamora asked from where she sat two seats to his left, in the corner diagonally across from her sister.

"Oh!" Peter shoved his chair out so he could stand up and step away from the table. "Check this out!"

Peter was still pretty tired from the day's work, so he only managed to form a crystal about the size of a baseball, but it was satisfyingly round and toeing the line of being called truly transparent. "It's usually a bit bigger," he confessed, slumping back into his chair and placing the crystal on the table with a thunk. "But it's a big improvement from this morning and it's getting easier to summon and control the Light."

Drax reached forward to grab it, chewing loudly as he rolled it around in his hand.

"And how is this orb supposed to help us defeat Ronan and Thanos?"

"Well, it's not, but eventually I'll be able to make bigger things. When I fought my father last time I made these massive rock-bodies, like gigantic fighting robots," Peter waved his arms up dramatically to emphasize how very gigantic these bodies were. "It was pretty cool."

"On the subject of fighting," Gamora said, her arms crossed neatly on the table in front of herself as she stared at Mantis, sitting across from her. "Do you know how to defend yourself at all, Mantis?"

Mantis blinked her huge eyes in surprise at this question. "I have never needed to defend myself. Ego is very powerful, and I am always with him."

"No one has ever tried to hurt you?" Gamora asked.

"Well, I have met... unhappy people, but with my abilities, I can sooth them back into a happier state if they come too near. I rarely speak to others, though, so it does not happen often."

"Peter," Gamora turned her eyes on him now. "How did she manage in combat in your timeline?"

"Uh, I guess we looked out for her if it got too physical, but she's tough, and she was learning." He shrugged, not sure if this was the answer Gamora was looking for. Mantis was, compared to the other Guardians, pretty frail in terms of physical strength and fighting ability, but it had never been a big issue in their travels. They hadn't actually had many big fights after Ego's planet, though. Mostly it was some contracts that led to a couple firefights, and Rocket's shenanigans leading to their usual violent endings. Someone was always there to keep an eye on her, and she walked off any bruises or injuries she incurred with admirable grace.

"If you are planning to take her with us, she will need to know how to defend herself, at least." Gamora narrowed her eyes at him like he was an idiot. "You can't take someone with no real experience into battle against my father. She'll be dead in an instant."

"Why don't you guys teach her?" he asked. "I'll probably be too busy with my own lessons to do anything about it, but you and Drax would give her occasional lessons in my timeline."

"I would love to 'take lessons' with you and Drax!" Mantis piped up eagerly. "I have never had lessons before. This is so exciting!"

There was scoff from Nebula's corner of the table, and Peter glanced over to see her glaring into her food like it had personally slighted her.

"It's getting late," Gamora said, glancing meaningfully at the light fading rapidly through the glass panes. "We can start in the morning. There are no lights here, and I don't want you injuring yourself in the dark."

There was a clink of utensils as Nebula set hers down and shoved her chair out. "I'm done," she said flatly when she noticed Peter staring at her with his brows raised in question, her good mood from earlier in the day seemed to have vanished.

"Are you going exploring again tonight?" Peter asked.

Nebula shot her sister a darting look before answering, as though considering whether or not she wanted to give away her plans where Gamora could overhear them. "Yes," she told Peter. "I'll be in the canyon beyond the river if you need me."

"Okay," he said, as she made her way to the open doorway. "Thanks. Let me know if you run into Rocket?"

Nebula didn't look back, but she waved a hand in acknowledgment of his request as she left.

When Peter turned back to the table, Gamora was staring after her sister with her lips pinched in the corners.

-x-

Mantis was apparently eager to get to work, Peter thought to himself, as the pounding on his door came much earlier the next morning. Lifting his head from the pillow with a groan, Peter opened his eyes and could barely make out the features of his room under the starlight glinting through the panes of his window.

"Mantis?" he asked, suddenly wondering if it might be one of the other Guardians instead, but couldn't think of any reason the others would be pounding on his door at who-knows-when in the morning.

The knocking came again, more insistently this time.

"Hello?" Peter kicked off his sheets and groped around for his boots. "Who is it?"

More knocking, this time the door shook in its frame under the abuse.

"It's open," Peter called, giving up on his boots and crossing to the door. "What do you want?"

He flung the door open wide, but there was no one there.

"What the?" he mumbled, glancing up and down the hallway. "That's not funny! Come on. Go wake up someone who your life doesn't depend on their beauty rest!"

Something made a noise from outside.

"Rocket?" Peter asked, suddenly hopeful. Maybe Rocket wanted to speak to him without the other Guardians nearby. Peter stepped out into the hallway and immediately his foot slipped out from underneath him. He had to grab the door frame to keep from going down. "Ugh, what?" he grumbled, lifting up his foot to stare down at where he had left a track through a thick layer of dust that coated the marble floor. Peter swiped at his sock cautiously, but it appeared to just be normal, unremarkable, dirt. A little plume of dust rolled off of his foot and settled back to the floor. As he watched it settle, he noticed that, other than where his foot had just landed, the rest of the dust lay sleek and undisturbed. There were no other tracks in the hallway. So... maybe not Rocket.

Curiosity peaked, Peter stepped out into the hallway, careful of his footing this time, and made his way across to Drax's door. The layer of dust muffled the sounds of his steps, making him feel like a ghost himself.

"Drax?" he hissed, rapping on the door with his knuckles. Unnerved by the silence -not even the sound of Drax's snoring leaked through the walls- Peter shoved the door open. Inside, the room was empty and a thin film of dust coated everything in here as well. The dust sat the thickest in a clump on the bed, but Peter could find no clue as to what could have caused this or where Drax had gone, so he stepped back into the hallway and slid the door shut. He pushed Gamora's door open next, but her room was in the same state, and just as unhelpful.

Peter licked his lips and tapped his fingers against his pants, pausing when he realized something else here was out of place. Peter held his unbandaged hands up, marveling at the perfect, unbroken skin in the dim ghost light of the hallway, and it dawned on him like someone had raised a curtain after he had already guessed what was behind it. He'd known, but not really known, until just now.

Peter was dreaming again. This may be the most real one yet, or at least the most aware he had been without waking up. They were getting stronger.

Peter cast his gaze up and down the empty hall, not sure what he was supposed to be doing here. Was this a test of some sort? Peter closed his eyes and reached out towards the Light. He didn't know if he could reach it in a dream, or whatever this was. If nothing else, it could provide him with a way to light up the hallway. Ego would probably be disgusted at the notion of using his powers in such a way, but as far as Peter was concerned, his father's annoyance was just more incentive to do it. But when Peter felt the familiar sensation of the power drawing to him the world around him began to shudder. Peter's eyes flew open to see the walls dancing and rippling unnaturally. A wild, unreasonable panic seized his mind and Peter quickly severed the connection he had built, pulling away from the Light as if it had burned him.

The world around him settled back into place, and the panic receded, leaving his skin prickling despite the pleasant temperature. So that... was not a great idea...

There was another noise from outside. A grating sound, kind of like a cat scratching at a door, but louder, and it echoed unnaturally through the building around him. Feeling pretty confident that this was a dream and he was safe, Peter shook off the chills and moved towards the front doors to investigate. When he pulled the massive copper door open, he had expected to find the usual scene of galaxies, but was met instead with a bursts of hot air and a bright burning sky. Peter held one hand up to shield his face and peered through narrowed eyes into the wind. The world around him was lifeless and barren- even more so that when he had fallen asleep. All of the plants had died, most of them seemed to have blown away, leaving behind clumps of shriveled up sticks and vines scattered across an endless landscape of dry cracked dirt and sand that blew about and danced in the harsh wind.

"Ego?!" Peter called. His voice was snatched up by the whistling wind and blown away.

The scratching noise came again, this time echoing through the empty world around him like something was trying to dig in through a ceiling that didn't exist. Something moved in the corner of his eyes, and Peter squinted against the acrid wind until he saw it again. In the distance, beyond the softly rolling remains of the garden, something was sending the dirt flinging upward where the wind caught it and carried it off.

Peter tugged his jacket tight against his neck and waded into the wind. The sandy ground and bits of brittle leaves crunched under his socked feet, and the closer he drew to the flinging dirt, the louder the scrabbling noise became, but still the sound echoed from all around, rather than from his destination. As he surmounted a small roll in the desert, he was able to get a look at what was causing the strange phenomena. A series of rectangular holes had been dug into the dry dirt. Eight in total, all lined up neatly, like graves. As Peter watched, another clump of dirt was flung out of the nearest one and he approached with a sense of trepidation to peer over the edge. Inside, some four or five feet down, Rocket's striped tail bobbed as he dug furiously at the dirt with his bare hands, pausing to grab the loose dirt he had churned up and flinging it out from the hole. The scratching noise was louder than ever, and Peter had to shout to hear his own voice over it.

"Rocket?!"

Rocket paused in his digging again and straightened up to peer at Peter looming above him. The scratching in the sky above which had not stopped when Rocket had been throwing the dirt, stopped now. Slowly, his lips split into a wicked grin. "This one's for you," he promised darkly.

"What?" Peter took an unconscious step back.

"I told you to dig," Rocket said. "I was very clear. And that's a very difficult thing to do from here. If you can't dig fast enough on your own, I'll have to help."

"Rocket," Peter said slowly. "Where are the others?"

Rocket paused to look behind himself like he could see the other graves despite being underground. "We're all dust in the end," Rocket said. When Rocket turned back his eyes had changed, but instead of the red and blue Peter had seen on the Starburst, his eyes were flooded with stars and swirling galaxies. "One way or another. All but me. But if you help me dig, it doesn't have to be so bad. If we dig together, it will take much longer."

"What does that mean, Rocket?" Peter asked, ignoring how his skin shivered under that gaze. "None of that made any sense- why would it take longer to dig together?"

"Isn't that what you want, Peter? To delay the inevitable? I want that to, but I can't help you until you dig me up."

"What I want is to wake up," Peter said, crossing his arms and hunching miserably against the wind which hadn't relented in its assault. "I want these dreams to stop."

"Then keep digging." Rocket gave one last tooth flashing grin that was only a step to the left of a sneer and his body began to fall apart like dust in the whipping wind, sweeping away and swirling into nothing. The scraping noise started up again, rattling Peter's bones and filling his skull until he screwed his eyes shut against it.

-x-

Peter did not immediately awaken this time, but fell instead into a black and dreamless void so that by the time he stirred to wakefulness the next morning, the worst of the shudders and disgust had faded. The memory of what had occurred was still fresh enough, but the feelings had grown stale and he did not leap from bed with a shout or awaken in a pool of his own sweat. Instead, he lay on his back, his fingers laced together across his stomach as he stared mutely at the ceiling until Mantis came to alert them breakfast was ready.

"You are very quiet today," Drax told him between bites of his second plate. "Are you feeling unwell?"

"I'm fine," Peter lied, taking a bigger bite of his own food as if to prove it. "I just didn't sleep well."

"More dreams?" Nebula had deigned to grace them with her presence again. She had appeared after everyone else had sat down to grab her own plate and sit down in a chair that Peter was pretty sure Drax had intentionally saved her away from her sister, and while a part of Peter wanted sorely to say something, to tease her for her continued refusal to be a part of life, he was a little afraid she would actually leave if he did, and having all of them here and whole and alive was making him feel better. All but Rocket, that is.

"Yeah," he mumbled. "Hey, did you happen to see Rocket last night?"

"I saw him from a distance, but we didn't speak. It seems he is still trying to find a way off of this planet."

"Ego's ship-?"

"-is rubble by now."

Peter didn't feel even the slightest tinge of annoyance or regret at learning of the destruction of his father's property.

Mantis was clearly excited for her lessons. She could hardly sit still through breakfast and was clearing away everyone's dishes almost before they had finished cleaning them off. Drax nearly upturned the table, lunging over it to snatch the last bite from his plate as she pulled it away after he had turned away to say something to Groot and she had thought he was done. She was so upset by her mistake it took Drax taking her hand and placing it across his chest to assure her that he was not angry.

When everything had calmed back down the group moved out into the court beside the cliff where they had first stepped from the horseshoe shuttle. The fountain was out of the way enough that it still left plenty of open space to practice in, and even provided a place to sit for Groot who happily perched on the edge, toying with the false metal fish as they span in their endless cycle.

"Do you have any weapons here?" Gamora asked as she finished inspecting their footing. "A sword, or staff, or anything like that?"

"Oh!" Mantis exclaimed. "I will be right back!"

She vanished into the main cathedral that loomed over the court, returning a few minutes later, face flushed and panting, but held the item she had retrieved up for Gamora to inspect with a proud smile. It was a long staff, almost the height of Mantis herself, a brilliant gold with sparkling emerald carvings that didn't quite resemble dragons, but made Peter think of them nonetheless. "Often, when Ego and I would visit planets, the locals would offer Ego great gifts- things like clothing, or food, or decorative trinkets and weapons," Mantis explained. "Ego has no need of such things, so he either refuses, or disposes of the items later. When Ego and I visited the planet of Kleinert, he saw how much I loved this item, and allowed me to keep it."

She said this with such pride, like a child telling the story of how their parent had purchased them the exact pony they had wanted for Christmas. The sheer joy and gratitude sparkling in her eyes over something that had cost Ego nothing, and he probably didn't even remember doing, made Peter want to reach out and give her a hug.

Gamora took the staff and balanced it carefully in her hands, testing its weight and giving it a few experimental swings before handing it back. "It is actually very well made for such an ornamental piece," she said, loud enough for the others to hear. "Kleinert is known for its metalwork, and prides its self on combining beauty with durability and function. My father had considered commissioning me a piece from their smiths, once."

From behind Peter, Nebula gave a snort.

"This will do," Gamora finished and Mantis positively beamed under the assassin's cool approval.

"First, lets show you the basic stretches and stances."

Peter got comfortable on the steps and let his anxieties melt away as he watched Gamora guide Mantis through the familiar routines she had shown to him once. He was wincing in sympathy as Mantis struggled to find her balance in a stance that he had almost pulled a hamstring learning when he heard the scuffling of his father's shoes approaching from behind him.

"Are you ready to go?" Ego asked in that tone that clearly said 'I'm not really asking.'

"Yeah." Peter stood and stretched, dusting imaginary dirt off of his pants before turning to follow his father down the familiar pathway to their own practice grounds. "Aren't you going to ask what Mantis is doing?" Peter asked as the walked.

"No," he answered with disinterest. "She's yours now, you may do with her as you wish."

Peter's nose wrinkled and his brows drew together into an ugly glare at his father. "She's not a thing." Peter just couldn't understand why Mantis could feel anything but hate for the monster walking beside him.

Ego didn't answer him, and they continued on in silence.

Again Peter was lead to the center of the courtyard. "We're going to begin expanding on your usefulness today," Ego informed him. He snapped his fingers and a bubble of light rose from the ground between them, bursting outward and forming into a wide basin, about a body length across and nearly coming up to his hip. After that, he reached one hand out to hold it over the basin, in his hand swirled a smaller ball of Light. Slowly he tipped his hand over, and water began to spill from the orb, splashing into the basin below. Peter watched the orb carefully, but no matter how much water poured through, the amount of Light never changed. After a couple of inches had gathered in the bottom of the bowl Ego closed his hand and the light vanished, the last drips of water fell into the pool below where the ripples slowly settled into a pristine and unblemished surface.

"How do you-?" Peter began to ask, but Ego cut him off.

"You can take a break when you have filled the bowl to the top," he said, clasping his hands behind his back and stepping back to stare at Peter expectantly.

"But how do I make water?" Peter asked.

"The same way you made rock," Ego snorted. "I suggest you get started, or you'll be here all night."

Peter's lips pulled into a deep frown. He was running out of patience for these cryptic games. With an angry flick of his wrists, Peter held his own hands out over the bowl and began to gather Light. It came easier than ever, and he had a respectably heavy ball of light knitted together in a matter of minutes. He tried to focus on the thought of water, the feel of it, and the light seemed to change in his hands. Instead of growing heavier or denser, like it had when he was forming crystal, it changed in its behavior. Before, it had felt like it was made of strings of lightning, moving in darting, unpredictable ways. Now it was beginning to grow more sluggish and uniform, swirling in a slower fashion and trying to leak out the bottom. Peter tried to hold it together as long as he could, but before the light had cooled from the orb in his hands he lost control and it slipped from his hold. Instead of the explosions of yesterday morning, it burst like an overfilled water-balloon, chunks of still dimly-glowing liquid plopped into the bowl where they sizzled and bubbled into the existing water.

"You should tip it earlier," Ego told him, ever-helpful only after the fact. "And you cannot hold the water between your hands after it is formed, try to change only one section at a time."

Peter tried again, deciding to stick with smaller balls of light for the time being to avoid more big messy bursts of liquid light.

Trying to control the Light in sections was a much bigger challenge than Peter had anticipated. Edges would slough off when they became too heavy, unbalancing the energy still in his control, or the section he was working on would be reabsorbed by the Light if he lost focus for even a moment. Eventually, he tried Ego's trick of tipping his hands and letting the formed bits trickle out, aided by gravity. This way he could put most of mind to the task of making sure the water formed from the center and guiding it out through the same hole. This trick made the process less messy, but it was agonizingly slow. Each ball of Light only produced so much water before it had all been transformed and drained away and Peter had to start back over at the beginning.

The water level in the bowl had only raised a palm's worth by the time Peter had to pause and catch his breath, leaning with one hand against the smooth lip of the basin.

"How am I supposed to fill this?" Peter panted, his head hanging low. "This is going to take forever."

"Keep digging," Ego's voice answered.

"I am digging," Peter snapped, turning his glare from the tips of his boots to the celestial across from him. "This is me _digging_."

"I'm glad to hear that," Ego said, raising a brow. "Now, if you are feeling comfortable enough with controlling the Light in parts, why don't you try refilling the Light you posses as you drain it away."

Peter huffed out a mouthful of air and straightened himself back up to try again. As he stared into the Light, obediently swirled into existence between his hands, Ego's voice again broke into the silence.

"You're not digging deep enough."

The tiny orb in Peter's hands wavered, but he held it together.

"You're wasting your time with this, keep digging."

The bundle of light he had gathered flickered out with a tiny 'pop' as Peter looked up to shoot Ego an annoyed look.

"What are you doing?" Ego asked. "Focus."

"Gladly," Peter grumbled, not amused by this new game.

Things fell back into silence after that. Hours of practice had left Peter fairly exhausted, and he was beginning to run out of steam. The Light was growing just a bit more difficult to summon every time. He was considering whether he should drag out just a little more before he began trying to summon and modify the Light at the same time, or if he should just give it a go with the Light he already had, when Ego's voice cut into his concentration again.

"You're taking the long way," his voice rumbled with frustration.

Peter huffed his annoyance but didn't want to spare the energy to look up or answer, so he dug deeper and pulled another thread of light into existence.

"You have to keep digging if you ever want to save your friends."

"That's it!" Peter screamed, throwing the ball of light down in a fit of rage where it burst violently against the water's surface below and sent up a spray of water and mist.

Ego's eyebrows shot up at Peter's outburst. "Peter-"

"I'm here aren't I?" Peter shouted over him. "I'm learning to use this stupid Light and doing everything you've asked, so why are you doing this?"

Ego drew himself up to his full height and had the audacity to look shocked and offended. "I don't know what you're-"

"Don't lie to me!" Peter stepped around the basin and pointed one finger accusingly at the celestial before him. "Those dreams were bad enough, but now you're threatening my friends!"

Ego's lip peeled back into an ugly sneer, but his voice remained calm under Peter's storm of accusations. "I have not threatened your companions. I have no need to."

"Yes you did. Just now!"

"No, Peter," Ego's eyes narrowed. "I didn't"

"I heard you!"

"I haven't said anything."

"But you-" Peter's burst of rage was cooling under Ego's confused denial, and a strange spark in his father's eyes.

"What did you hear, exactly?"

"Keep digging," Peter repeated, watching Ego's face carefully. "Keep digging or... or I'll never save my friends."

"And you heard this in my voice?" The dark shadow of suspicion in Ego's eyes was replaced with a spark of understanding and something angrier that was making Peter's skin itch. "Just now? You're sure?"

"Yes?" Peter asked, suddenly not so sure of anything.

Ego ran his tongue over his teeth and made a face like he was tasting something sour.

"What is it?" Peter asked. "What's going on?"

"Celestials aren't the only thing that walk on other planes," Ego muttered darkly. He raised his hand up and placed his thumb against Peter's forehead much like he had the first time they had met.

The immediate result was less spectacular this time, perhaps because Peter knew what to expect, or perhaps because Peter already had some access to the Light so this was less overwhelming, he really didn't know. A strange tingle rushed through his body, and the late-morning forest around him transformed into a landscape of stars over the seafoam court. As Peter stared at the stars in amazement, he recognized the colorful galaxies of his nightmares.

"Finally," Ego's voice rang out from behind Peter, entirely disconnected from the body of his father which still stood in front of him, his mouth unmoving. Peter turned around to find a second Ego standing across the court. His eyes were bright with triumph and lips split into a toothy grin that revealed pointed teeth. "Found you."

"What the f-?"

A hand came down on Peter's shoulder and he risked a glance to find the Ego he'd come with had stepped up to stand beside him. His eyes were narrowed dangerously at his twin.

"Eternity," the first Ego, which Peter was pretty sure was the real one, growled over Peter's shoulder. "What is your business with my son?"

**End**

**Chapter 12 Preview:** "... _Oh, Ego," Eternity turned his head, Gamora's head, to regard Ego with a look of pity. "My loneliest child." Gamora's form rippled. "There are so very few things in this life you ever learned to love."_

 _The hand on Peter's shoulder tightened into a crushing grip, but Peter barely felt it over the fresh wave of revolution as Eternity's shifting form resolved this time into cascading blond curls and bright blue eyes. "M-mo-_..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end of this chapter was actually written as the end of the last one, but I decided to flip around the small 'Elemental & Celestials' explanation with this much larger reveal and the followup explanation about the deeper origins of celestials, why Ego came so late and alone, and a few other things because I thought this order might make it easier to understand.
> 
> I know at least one of you knew this was coming (because I told you, lol. You know who you are! ;) ) In retrospect, I kind of feel like I should have made it more clear from earlier on that the dreams were coming from a different source, or maybe even just had Eternity show up and reveal himself sooner. I feel like I fell into the classic pitfall of new writers where they try to withhold some important plot detail for a big reveal and just kinda end up frustrating the reader. Hopefully this worked out okay or at least you'll forgive me. I was, technically, dropping hints all along, but they were intentionally difficult and the kind that were supposed to be more obvious in retrospect.
> 
> Kind of like the final conversation Peter has with ego. All the lines that involved 'digging' were Eternity reaching out to Peter, so I was careful to make sure he wasn't looking at Ego when they spoke. In the first version (last chapter) Ego's voice was coming from behind Peter, and he only looked up at the end to see Ego was in front of him. I liked the flow of this better, though I feel like it cost me some clarity. It should read one way on the first pass, and another if you go back and re-read it after.
> 
> Eternity, for anyone who doesn't know, is a character from the original 'Infinity Wars' comics. He's not going to be playing the exact same role here, I'll be changing him and a few other cosmic entities around a bit, but hopefully this will make the story lines join up much smoother, and give me a way to keep Thanos relatable to both the movie and the comic version (which is very different).
> 
> I made a stupid mistake on the Tenebris book. I literally started writing it out of order. lol. When I started writing, I forgot that I had to rearrange a couple things due to the wonky cinematic timeline, and the entire first chapter I wrote takes place a year into the story, roughly even with what's happening in Luciferous right now. The good news is I still have two real chapters done, and might just turn part of what I accidentally wrote into the epilogue and be done with it.
> 
> Thank you everyone for continuing to read this story! And for the comments and support! It means a lot.
> 
> (Sorry I talk so much in the end notes.)
> 
> ~OMaM


	12. The Last of the Real Ones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I was just an only child of the universe,_
> 
> _and then I found you-and then I found you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone hasn't seen it, I posted another aside, "Even if it Kills Me." Set during their first night on Ego's planet, a meeting between Rocket and Nebula. I feel like the very ending of this chapter has a little more impact if you've read that first.
> 
> This chapter is titled from 'The Last of the Real Ones' by Fall Out Boy
> 
> I do not own GotG, it belongs to Marvel.

** Chapter 12: The Last of the Real Ones **

"Eternity?" Peter echoed, glancing between the scowling Ego with a hand on Peter's shoulder and the one standing across the court with his hands shoved into his pockets and a wide grin plastered across his face.

"That is what most mortal beings know me as, yes," the grinning Ego answered. "I have been calling for you a very long time, Peter. It is such a relief to finally meet face to face."

"Why do you look like Ego?" Peter asked, thoroughly disturbed by being suddenly surrounded by two of his least favorite person in the universe. "And in my dreams, that was you, wasn't it, taking the forms of my friends? If your so keen to finally meet face to face, why don't you show me your real one?"

The grinning Ego, Eternity, tilted his head in amusement, but the grin did not falter. "You are not able to comprehend my true form. You'll get there, in time, perhaps, but for now, I need a way to translate my form into something you can understand, so I have been pulling images from your own mind to use. It is easier to choose those who you share a strong emotional connection to, those who weigh heavily on your mind.

"Love is the simplest to work with, but hate will do just as well in a pinch. If this form disturbs you, I can choose another. Perhaps someone you love, instead" Eternity's body rippled and Gamora took its place, dressed in the more comfortable clothes and long leather jacket of his own Gamora, from before Thanos had rewritten time, but still grinning that same smug grin.

Peter shuddered in disgust as Gamora's chocolate eyes stared at him with a twisted expression of hunger and amusement.

"Eternity," Ego cut in. His voice was low and dangerous. "You are not welcome here."

"Oh, Ego," Eternity turned his head, Gamora's head, to regard Ego with a look of pity. "My loneliest child." Gamora's form rippled. "There are so very few things in this life you ever learned to love."

The hand on Peter's shoulder tightened into a crushing grip, but Peter barely felt it over the fresh wave of revoltion as Eternity's shifting form resolved this time into cascading blond curls and bright blue eyes. "M-mo-?"

"GET OUT OF THAT FORM!" Ego roared.

Meredith Quill's lips quirked into a smile and the musical trill of her laughter filled the air that was suddenly much harder to breath than Peter remembered it being. "Very well." Her golden curls darkened, the tips fading back to red. As suddenly as Meredith had appeared she was gone and Gamora once more stood in her place. "I didn't come here to upset you, so this form will just have to do for both of you."

"Do for what?" Ego snarled as Peter found himself speechless and struggling to piece together what was going on. "Peter belongs to the mortal realm right now."

"Exactly," Eternity answered. "As such, he is mine, and that's just where I would like him to stay. In fact, it's where I would like nearly all living souls to remain, but I will need his help to achieve this goal."

"What?" Peter asked, still grasping around in his mind, but failing to pull out more than one word at a time.

Eternity's eyes locked with Peter's and it struck him how very much this didn't look like Gamora now that he had a chance for his brain to catch up. He wore her body, but the mannerisms, the eyes, they were all so wrong. "We are on the eve of a disaster the likes of which the galaxies have never seen before. A catastrophic event so great it could shift the balance of power in every other realm beyond. I have been calling you, Peter, because it's time for you to accept your destiny."

"Destiny?" Peter repeated. "What destiny?

"The destiny I have chosen for you."

"Yeah, um, no thanks," he said, taking a step back. "So far, all of my destinies have really sucked."

"I think if you give me some time to explain, you will find we want the same thing in the end."

"And what is that?" Peter asked.

"I want Thanos dead," Eternity grinned, waving Gamora's arms out like he was bestowing some great honor. "I want to help you kill him."

"You are more than capable of removing a Titan from existence," Ego accused. "Why not do it yourself?"

"There are rules in place about this sort of thing. There must be, or the mortal plain would have been torn apart eons ago under the unbridled wrath or apathy of the Timeless and the Ancients. We cannot play such a direct hand in the going-on's on this side of the veil, but we can find agents; mortals and immortals who walk in this plain, to exact our will.

"My youngest sister already has such an agent, and she is drawing too near her goal. I have wasted a great deal of time waiting for you to grow strong enough to reach me."

"Wait, are you saying Thanos is an agent of your sister?" Peter asked. "I thought he was working for himself, bringing balance to the Universe or whatever..."

"It's likely he believes this is so, but I could not tell you for sure. My sister has always loved her games and whispering into the ears of her champions. I doubt he is even aware of her influence. The creatures of this plain are so caught up in convictions and beliefs, they will die upon these swords before they allow themselves to fail if they truly believe in what they are doing. We are running out of time, however, so for you, Peter, I must be much more direct and hope your love for your mortal friends will be enough to sway you to my side."

"Why Peter?" Ego growled. "He can barely control the Light. Why not myself or another?"

Eternity shook his head and tsk'd, Gamora's locks bouncing in the unnatural light. "It could never be you, Ego. I had thought, once, perhaps you could do, but you simply lack the heart. You have played your part. You created my champion, and brought him to the Light so that I could reach him, but you have long since outlived your purpose. It is only through my sister and her champion's meddling that you are here now. You were meant to be called back into the Light as all Celestials are when their work here is complete.

"I created the Celestials myself," he continued. "And I sent them across the empty void of existence to bring a new form of life to bear. The Celestials were created with a purpose, and when their job was complete, they all fell back into oblivion. You were my youngest son, Ego, with a unique purpose unlike any other before you; to create my champion." Eternity paused to catch Peter's eyes. "Something neither mortal, nor immortal, bound to the Light. This was always your destiny, Peter. This is why I drove Ego to wander the cosmos in search of a viable child." He turned back to Ego. "Though it took you long enough to find your way to Earth, so caught up in your plans that you often ignored my whispers in favor of your own selfish desires."

The hand on Peter's shoulder was trembling and digging into his already bruised flesh, and when he risked a glance to his side, he was taken aback by the blind fury in Ego's eyes.

"You left me here," he growled so low Eternity tipped his head as though he couldn't hear what had been said, then, louder, he snarled; "YOU LEFT ME HERE WITH NOTHING!"

The hand on Peter's shoulder let him go, shoving him roughly aside so Ego could step forward to face Eternity alone. The sky around them trembled and a strange energy hummed through the air. "GET AWAY! You are not welcome here. Leave, and keep away from my son!"

"In his own way, Peter is my final creation, and my son as well. You have no claim to him I cannot match." The chocolate of Gamora's eyes sparkled with endless stars as Eternity's eyes fell once more on Peter. "I will be back."

Ego snarled again and a beat later Gamora's body vanished. The night sky above them crumbled away.

"Who-?" Peter began as he blinked his eyes against the bright light. "What was that?"

Ego moved his arm in a jerking wave and the basin they had been standing beside exploded, the shards skittering across the stone and bouncing off of Peter's boots before fading out of existence.

"That," Ego forced out between his teeth, his voice was tight with barely suppressed fury. "Was Eternity."

"I gathered that..." Peter said cautiously, not sure now was the time be poking at the volatile god. "But I don't know what an Eternity is..."

Ego turned to regard Peter with those burning eyes and Peter briefly wondered if he had pushed him too far after all. After an agonizing pause, however, the fury began to cool into a simmering rage and Ego released him from his stare to raise another large screen from the court. "It seems there is more to tell you of your origins as an immortal.

"Do you know what existed before time and space?" Ego asked.

"...The Infinity Stones...?" Peter tried with a small shrug, holding his palms out to show he wasn't trying to be sarcastic here.

Ego let out a long breath through his nose, but raised his hand again and the screen became the deepest black Peter had ever seen. "The Nothing came first. At least, that is how the story must be told to those who rely on the passage of time. Then, came the Light." One edge of the screen became a brilliant white, the light leaking across the canvas until it was a perfect gradient from one end to the other. "The Nothing and the Light were fundamentally incompatible, and where they met they warred, leading to a great cataclysmic event that gave birth to this realm." In the center of the image of light and dark, a globe began to form, shining back the light and casting shadow to give it a three dimensional effect on the flat canvas.

"The mortal realm exists as a bridge between the two incompatible realms. Seeing the potential this new form of existence presented, the four entities of Eternity, Infinity, Death, and Entropy, before they were known as such, took a great interest in it. For a long while, they argued and squabbled over what should be done with it. This new plane of existence offered limitless potential, and they all wanted to have their say. Their fighting nearly destroyed it, and eventually, an agreement was found. They would all share the new universe, each controlling and benefiting from a specific aspect."

Ego waved his hand again, and four symbols that Peter didn't recognize appeared on the image, one on each side, one on the top, and a fourth on the bottom. They were written in a language Peter didn't know. "Eternity and his sister, Infinity, took charge of creation. Infinity." The symbol on the top of the image shuddered. "Holds all the souls that will be, or could be, depending on who you ask, all the limitless potential of the future. Eternity." The symbol in the Light shuddered now. "Is all the life that exists now. He watches over and draws his strength from every living soul. He sent the Celestials to create the first truly mortal life for this reason." In the grey space around the globe, little dots like stars winked into existence. Something about this detail made it seem almost familiar, but Peter couldn't recall where he would have seen it before.

"Entropy and Death took on the side of destruction, completing the necessary cycle of this new universe." The symbol on the bottom shuddered next. "Entropy is the god of destruction. He ensures that things wear and break down over time, brings about great catastrophic cosmic events, and prevents the universe from falling into stagnation. And Death." The final symbol, the one buried in the darkness finally moved. "I suppose you could guess what role she chose. As Infinity holds the souls that don't yet exist, Death took on the souls after they had passed through the mortal realm."

"Hang on, like, and afterlife?" Peter interrupted.

Ego pursed his lips and rolled his shoulders into a shrug. "I don't know," he said in a way that sounded an awful lot like 'I don't care.' "Some sort of energy which was borrowed from beyond the veil is returned when a mortal dies. Whether or not some form of consciousness follows is beyond me."

Peter fell quiet after that, staring at the image before him. The feeling of familiarity would not leave him, but he had no memory of ever seeing this in any books or on any holo screen before. He'd never even heard of these supposed universal entities before just now.

"I've seen that before." Nebula's voice broke through his thoughts, and he turned in surprise to find his friends coming down the pathway that lead to the court. Most of the Guardians paused at the edge of the court, as though not sure if they were welcome to come further. It had been Ego's only rule, after all, that he not be interrupted when Peter was learning to use the Light. Nebula did not stop, however, and broke away from the others, moving confidently over the courtyard to stand at Peter's side, Ignoring the look of annoyance on his father's face.

Ego quirked a brow at her as she came to a stop, but instead of rebuking her, his curiosity seemed to get the better of him and he asked, "Where?"

"In a book in my father's library," Nebula said, studying the image through narrowed eyes before turning to Peter. "Do you remember the book I told you about? The one with the section on Celestials?"

"Oh, yeah." Peter blinked. "It was some sort of encyclopedia of Titan powers or something, right?"

"Close enough," she conceded, turning back to the image above. "This image was on the cover of the section titled 'Celestials and Other Cosmic Origins,' but it's missing some pieces." She raised one hand to point at the symbol on the far left. "There should be a second symbol here." She moved her finger to point at each of the symbols in turn. "And underneath the others as well. And some smaller orbs along the center here."

Ego's annoyance was interrupted by a flicker of surprise. "Yes." He waved his hand again and just as Nebula had said, four new symbols, smaller than the original four, took form between the respective edges and the circle in the center. "The Celestials, The Titans, and the Ancient Ones were the first beings of the new universe. Each of the Entities sent their agents to explore the unknown."

"What are those orbs?" Peter asked, pointing at the smaller circles that had appeared among the false stars.

"Pocket dimensions. Planes of existence that are neither within the mortal realm nor without, but are able to support some form of existence within themselves."

"So the Titans had some connection to this Entity of... Death?" Nebula asked. She was pointing at the symbol on the far right and squinting as though she wasn't sure she had read it correctly.

"Death is the realm she chose to lord over, and the name given to her by the mortal realm," Ego answered. "She is merely an eternal entity as all the others are. There are more cosmic beings that prowl beyond the veil, and some do enact their influence upon this plane of existence, but these are the four who first took control of its workings. The Titans were immortals from the realm beyond the veil that migrated to the mortal realm to expand their species. In the time when the Entities were still warring over the new universe, Death, as she is named here, gave them the means to cross over in exchange for some measure of loyalty. Eventually, the war ended, and she had no more use for them, so she severed her ties and they were released from their deal.

"But they retained the ability they had been bestowed with, and while the gift was rare in the later generations, it seems Thanos inherited the ability to cross between the veils and step outside of time."

"So he can just... change things... whenever he wants?" Peter asked, feeling a wave of hopelessness rise up within him at this confirmation of his fears.

"I don't know enough about Titans to say for sure," Ego said, "but I doubt traveling between the veils and outside of time itself can be achieved lightly. I would assume it would be quite some time before he finds the means to do so again. Time its self can also be a bit... volatile and unpredictable. Changing it, on a scale this large, can make it unstable and has the potential to create some rather unpleasant side effects."

"How do you know all of this?" Peter asked. Clearly, Ego had met Eternity before. He had recognized him right away, and didn't seem too happy to see him.

"Most of it I've gathered through my travels," Ego answered easily. His fury seemed to be cooling as he spoke. "Many civilizations mistook my appearance and powers and called me by the various names they have been known by. Most often, I was mistaken for some variation of Eternity or the God of Creation. Sometimes, Mantis would be mistaken for some form of Infinity at my side." A small smile quirked at the corners of his mouth. "Once she was mistaken as the Goddess of Death. The natives sacrificed a beast to her, and she was useless for cycles."

Peter turned to find Mantis, not sure if Ego was telling the truth. His friends had inched forward into the seafoam court without him realizing, emboldened by Ego's apparent acceptance of Nebula. When Mantis noticed his staring she ducked her head, biting her bottom lip hard enough to leave a small mark before she squeaked out an explanation. "I did not speak their language, and they did not have translators, so I did not realize what was going on. They kept saying 'Hela' and then they brought me a great beast, it was shiny and soft and... and I thought Hela must be its name. And it was so sweet, so I pet it and they..." Her lip slipped between her teeth again and her dark eyes shimmered with horror and unshed tears.

"They slaughtered it for a feast," Ego said like this was something he had grown tired of repeating to her. "It was only a beast, and it would have died regardless."

Mantis just curled in on herself.

"And the rest of it?" Nebula pressed the conversation on, either taking mercy on the obviously distraught Mantis, or growing impatient with their dawdling. Probably a little of both.

The wrinkles on Ego's forehead deepened as he glanced at Nebula as though he'd forgotten she was there. "The rest I learned from Eternity and the remains of the Celestials after I had been dragged back into the Light." Ego glanced up at the sky briefly and when he looked back down he caught Peter's eye. "I believe we have wandered off-track. Take a break for now. Go play with your friends. I have some matters to attend to."

"Um," Peter felt something like a kid who had gotten out of a homework assignment because the teacher had grown distracted and forgotten about it. "Okay. What about when the Nova Corps call?" He really didn't feel like getting everyone blown up because Ego was in no mood to answer the phone.

Ego looked annoyed again for a moment, but offered, "I'll return when they send the hail. Until then, do as you wish."

-x-

The Guardians decided to return to the main court. Here, Mantis could continue her training and Peter would be close to the main building when the Nova Corps sent their hail.

"So why did you guys come down to the court?" Peter asked from where he was sitting on the golden steps between Drax and Nebula while they watched Gamora show mantis how to perform basic strikes.

"There was a tremor, and the insect woman claimed your father was furious, so we came to see what had happened." Drax was lounging back on the steps, propped up on one elbow while he picked at a bar he had saved from breakfast. "I assumed your annoying personality had set him off, and we thought perhaps you would need to be saved before he strangled you or buried you in the dirt."

"What did happen?" Off to his other side, Nebula was resting her chin in her hands while she watched the two women below with obvious disinterest.

"Those dreams I told you about? Turns out they were sent by one of those cosmic entities called Eternity. He was taking on the forms of people I knew in my dreams, and I guess that included Ego, but it was him the whole time, him and those weird..." While Peter spoke, his thoughts drifted back to his dream on the Starburst where Yondu had appeared among the stars. "THAT'S IT!" he exclaimed so loudly Nebula flinched and Mantis and Gamora paused in what they were doing to shoot him a worried glance and warning glare, respectively.

"What's it?" Drax asked.

"The picture -with the light and the dark, and the stars in between them- I'd seen it before, too, but not in any book or anything like that. I couldn't figure out where until just now. It was one of my dreams! After the battle on Traxxon III, before I woke up on the Nova Corps ship, I was wandering through space and then everything... changed... and I wound up on this pathway made of stars, standing between this gigantic ball of light and a dark void. I remember the light seemed to be singing to me, it was like, it was calling out. Eternity appeared behind me, he looked like Yondu that time, and told me I had to come back. He said, I didn't belong there." Peter's brows furrowed as he tried to recall the details of this dream. "But why would I dream about that?"

"Are you sure it was a dream?"

Peter turned to give Nebula a confused look and she continued.

"Think about it," she urged him, patiently. "Ego said that mortal souls are absorbed into this, nothing, when they die."

"Yeah?" Peter asked, not sure where she was going, but feeling a terrible weight crawling into his chest at the strange expression on her face he had never seen before.

"And when a Celestial dies, they are reabsorbed into this Light? And you are both."

"So then-" Peter swallowed thickly around the tightness in his throat as he stared into her dark eyes. "So then on the Starburst I was..."

"You were dying, Peter."

**End**

**Chapter 13 Preview:** "... _No," Drax repeated. "I will not lend you my blades."_

 _Gamora's lips pressed into a thin line and her shoulders stiffened into a pose Peter recognized very well; it was the same look she used to give the Guardians' when someone was being particularly stubborn or obtuse and needed a good tongue lashing, usually to be reminded that they were the good guys now_..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone's curious, I have a quick five minute sketch of the screen Ego made on my Tumblr; "ThereAreMonstersInTheDark"
> 
> So a few days after I posted the last chapter I stumbled upon the song 'The Yawning Grave' by Lord Huron while I was on my lunch break and nearly threw my phone on the ground. It was so perfect for that chapter. It killed me. It still kills me. The song is so perfectly Eternity. I will try to find somewhere to work the song in because. It hurts.
> 
> Anyways. Yes. I wanted really bad to have Hela be a part of this story somehow. The Infinity Wars movie did not at all go how I thought it was going to, and when it came out I had to scramble to change a lot of things in Book 2 and the plot to try to make this story agree with it. I had to throw out an entire major plot point with Peter and his connection to the Light and Nothing and Thanos's search for him, which I had been building to from the first chapter of Book 1, and am trying to smooth it out and still give it a sensible tie in. (I'm still a little bitter about having to give it up, but the movie Thanos is nothing like the comic book one, so it didn't make any sense with his current goals. xD) We still have a ways to go before it's all in place, but I'm hoping to be able to bridge the gap of Thanos's motives and the outcome and Hela being both a technical mortal (Asgardians do have a lifespan and do not live forever.) and an Eternal being, and have it be sensible and fun for you all. I also have a few hints at the Earth tie ins in this chapter, but they'll make more sense in retrospect.
> 
> I know this chapter leaves a lot of questions, and will try to get to the next ones quickly so you can get more answers(And cute Guardian bonding shenanigans).
> 
> Thank you for continuing to read and join me on this journey!
> 
> -OMaM


	13. Forest Fires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"And whilst I keep my quiet, you're running with the tigers,_
> 
> _You're running just to run from me - and I don't blame you."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **If anyone hasn't seen yet, I have the epilogue of Astronautical and the first chapter of Book 3: Tenebris up.**
> 
> Title is from "Forest Fires" by Lauren Aquilina. A great song for the sisters' rocky relationship right now.
> 
> Characters and Guardians of the Galaxy belong to Marvel.

**Chapter 13: Forest Fires**

Peter and the Guardians remained in the court for some time afterwards. The closeness of his friends and Gamora's steady voice as she instructed Mantis and answered her questions kept him company while he struggled to come to terms with Nebula's realization. He'd been dying. The thought sent shudders over his skin. He'd known he'd been seriously injured during the battle on Traxxon III, but finding out just how close he had come to never waking up again, and what may have happened to his friends and this universe without him, left him uncharacteristically speechless.

"We need another weapon." Gamora's voice broke through the silence, and Peter looked up to find her jogging up the steps towards him.

"Um, I don't have any," he said, not sure what she was expecting here. "My blasters were destroyed by Ronan."

"Not blasters, something like a sword or another staff," Gamora said, coming to a stop half-way up the stairs and turning her eyes on Drax. "May we borrow your knives?"

"No." Drax's answer was flat and absolute.

Gamora narrowed her eyes, clearly not expecting such a rude refusal. "It's for the good of the whole team."

"No," Drax repeated. "I will not lend you my blades."

Gamora's lips pressed into a thin line and her shoulders stiffened into a pose Peter recognized very well; it was the same look she used to give the Guardians' when someone was being particularly stubborn or obtuse and needed a good tongue lashing, usually to be reminded that they were good guys now. Before things could progress any further, Groot cut in from behind her.

"I am Groot." Groot had left the fountain and was standing at the bottom of the stairs. The colossus held one arm out. From his palm a vine sprouted, growing rapidly until it formed a long, straight staff which he snapped off and handed up to Gamora with an appeasing smile. "I am Groot."

Gamora deflated slightly, turning away from Drax to accept the gift with a half-smile of her own. "Thank you."

"I am Groot." Groot nodded and returned to his fountain, shooting Peter an easy smile as he went.

Gamora spun the staff a few times before placing it at her side and turning back to Peter. "This will do for now, but it would be better to have something more solid."

"So now  _you're_  giving me homework?" Peter sighed, but it was hard to even pretend to be upset when Gamora was finally choosing to speak with him.

"You have eight cycles left until our deal is up," she reminded him before returning to Mantis in the open space below.

Eight cycles. Right. As if he didn't have enough to worry about right now, he had hardly more than a week left to search all of the known galaxies under Thanos's control for two people who may or not even be alive. By the time he got back home, he was going to have an ulcer and his hair would be ghost white from all this stress. If it hadn't all fallen out by then.

Peter sat up and stretched his arms, conjuring a small ball of light between them once he had shaken them back to life. "What's wood made of?" he asked aloud.

"Mostly cellulose," Nebula answered without looking at him.

"Oh." Peter wasn't sure how to make that. He wasn't even really sure what it was. A third grade education and a lifetime of street smarts still left many holes in his knowledge. "What about metal? Something hard?"

"Do you know how to make metal yet?"

"No... just rock, mostly crystal, and water..."

"Diamonds are a type of crystalline stone," she murmured.

"That can work!" Peter exclaimed. It was worth a shot, anyways. While he began the slow process of gathering the Light he asked Nebula, "You don't happen to know anything else about these Cosmic Beings, do you?" She always seemed to have a surprising amount of information about all sorts of things.

Nebula was resting her head on her arms which were balanced on her knees as she watched him from the corner of her eye. "Not much that Ego didn't already cover. I told you, I never actually read that chapter. Most of what I know is lore and legend, and there is no way to sort the truth from exaggeration and poor translations."

Peter pulled at the Light in his hands, stretching it experimentally. "How long are staffs?"

"They vary, depending on the use and handler." When Peter just stared at her helplessly she continued. "At least the length of both your arms."

It took several tries to figure out how to shape the Light into a long cylinder. Eventually he tried using Ego's trick of dividing the Light into portions and building the staff from the middle out. It worked well enough. His first staff was uninspired; A dull, foggy, off-white color, with a rough texture that was unpleasant to the touch. It was heavy, though, and felt solid in his hands.

"What do you think?" He handed it over for Nebula to inspect. She took one look at it and swung it against the stairs where it shattered into pieces.

"It needs to be stronger," she supplied, dropping the last piece and letting it clatter down the stairs. "This is hardly better than basic glass."

Drax snapped the next one in half with his bare hands, and they took turns testing his creations after that. Testing might have been too kind a word. Demolishing was closer to what was going on, and around his seventh or eight failed staff, Peter was growing increasingly aware of the pile of shards building up around him.

While he worked, they spoke. Nebula shared a few old legends about the Gods of Creation and Destruction, and even Drax chimed in with a story about a version of the God of Death named 'Hela' that he had heard of on Sakaar. It was actually fairly pleasant, and Peter was almost sad when Gamora called a break and Mantis suggested they all head back to the greenhouse dining room for an early lunch.

Gamora had been taking their lesson surprisingly slow and easy. They hadn't even crossed staffs yet, Gamora was just using Groot's gift to demonstrate several poses and movements. By now when he and his Gamora first started training together she had already given him several new bruises and thrown him to the ground an embarrassing amount of times. Even with Gamora's easy pace, Mantis was obviously tired from the work. Despite her protests, the others insisted on setting out the plates and getting their own food from the storage rooms.

"Don't worry about it," Peter said as clapped his hand on her shoulder and guided her into a chair. "We know where it all is by now. You're part of the team, not a servant. You rest, I'll get us both some food."

Peter was rewarded with a soft, grateful smile, and Mantis allowed herself to relax. Once he was sure she wasn't going to spring back up, he left to go gather their plates.

While he ate, Peter was distracted still by his attempts to form something hard enough to not snap after one blow.

"Try this!" Peter gasped, leaning over the table to shove his latest attempt at Nebula who snatched it from his hands before it could land in her food.

Peter held his breath while she sat back to give it an appraising look and couple of swirls. When she slapped it against the stone floor it didn't crack, and a fine ringing filled the room. "It's better, but it's too heavy."

Peter's shoulder's slumped. "I don't know how to make it any lighter."

"You probably can't without sacrificing its integrity," Nebula mused, still rolling the glimmering staff back and forth in her hand. It was just a few shades away from completely clear, and it caught the light and threw it around in dazzling rainbows. "How about this?" She waved her left hand across her cheek and a holographic display winked into life from the cybernetics around her left eye, hovering in the space before her.

"Whoah!" Nebula flinched back in her chair when Peter leapt to his feet to lean over the table. "I didn't know you could do that!"

He lifted one hand towards the display and she swatted him away with a vicious strike of the heavy staff. "Knock it off!"

Peter pulled his hand back, shaking it and wincing against the ringing in his bones. "Ouch, geeze, sorry. No touching. I promise."

She just gave him a very unamused look before continuing. "Instead of making the whole thing of diamond, you can create a core and surround it with a lighter, more flexible material to balance out the weight." In the light blue display in front of her, a long thin line of crystal formed. A moment later, a series of twisting vines wrapped around it to form into a sort of shell and give it the look of a more usual staff.

"Will that still be strong enough?" Peter asked, rubbing his stinging wrist and resisting the urge to poke at the holographic display of the layered staff.

"I wouldn't take it into battle." Nebula dissolved the display with a flick of her wrist. "But it should be fine for practice. At the rate Gamora's going, Mantis won't be striking anything but air anytime soon." Nebula shot a meaningful look her sister's way which Gamora returned with a wrinkling of her brows.

Peter finished off his plate and returned to his self-imposed project as the rest of the Guardians finished eating and cleared away the table. The Light was growing easier to manipulate, and his next creation was done before the last dish was taken away. Groot was happy to cover the core with a tight net of branches, and Gamora accepted the finished project graciously on their way back to the makeshift training grounds. Despite Gamora's warnings that she would be sore the next day, Mantis insisted on continuing to learn.

"I very much wish to be useful!" she had exclaimed, clutching her emerald staff against her chest. "And I am having fun learning something so different. I've never done anything like this before."

This seemed to win over Gamora who began showing her some blocks and self defense moves against another staff. The soft clacking of their staffs colliding in slow-motion strikes filled the quiet air as the rest of the Guardians settled back down as well.

Peter found a new seat among the steps, away from the shards that still cascaded down from his earlier seat, and pondered over what other sorts of useful things he could create. The sense of accomplishment at seeing his staff hard at work below and Gamora's reminder of his limited time overrode his earlier relief at getting the afternoon off, so he set to work shaping a bowl -ugly and a foamy off-white, but a respectable size and serviceable- and filling it with water. When that grew too tedious and boring he decided to try his luck at another element. The result was an immediate and spectacular failure, and Nebula had to throw the contents of the bowl he had filled earlier onto his hands where the bandages had caught fire while Drax pinned him down.

"Idiot!" she grumbled as she unwound the soggy and half-burnt bandages from his hands.

Peter hung his head and offered no complaint as he stood on the wet steps and held his hands out for her.

"What were you planning to do?" Drax asked, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared down at Peter.

"I can make rock and water, I thought if I could get a head start on the next element or whatever, the next session with Ego would go a bit faster. I mean, who even knows how long he'll be pouting over this Eternity thing? And I'm on a bit of a time crunch."

Nebula gave a snort at that as she finished working his left hand free, dropping the bandages to lay in a crumpled heap at her feet. "What  _are_  you planning to do about this Eternity and his interest in you?" Her eyes were trained down as she spoke, carefully looking over the healing cuts on his palm. He tried not to wince as she prodded at one.

"I don't know."

"I don't think this one needs to be re-wrapped. It's healing just fine, and you can take it easy here." She released his right hand which had been flayed open by the blaster and began unwrapping the left. "If he's as powerful as Ego claims, then he might be very useful against my father."

"He's definitely powerful, but he said there were rules against him messing with reality, which is why he wanted my help in the first place, so how useful can he be?"

"He could have answers we don't have," Nebula said practically. "And I'm sure he's more capable than he's letting on."

"That's another thing," Peter muttered. "Eternity said that one of his sisters was helping Thanos." Nebula's dark eyes flickered up to meet his before returning to Peter's hand.

"Death?"

"He didn't  _actually_  say, but probably a safe assumption."

Nebula grunted something like an agreement as she removed the brace from his fingers. "Go like this," she ordered, holding one palm up to flex her fingers into a fist and back out again. Peter did as ordered, moving his fingers slowly and wincing at the strange feeling in his muscles which had gone unused for so long. "The Nova Corps did a good job in speeding your recovery along, but this break was clearly much worse than the first. It would be better to keep it braced while you're playing around with the Light." The metal of her enhancement was surprisingly warm against his skin as she held his wrist in one hand and carefully tested the range of motion in his finger with the other. "Let it dry off and breath for now, and ask Mantis if she has any clean medical supplies later."

"Sure thing, doc," Peter said with a mock salute when she released his hand.

A dark look of warning flickered across Nebula's face. "Don't call me that," she growled, low and angry.

"I won't." The memory from his time in Gamora's mind of the body surrounded by surgeons, and the horrid screaming that had chased him through the hallways even as he pressed his hands over his ears, resurfaced in his mind and he hastily apologized. "I'm sorry."

"If you go back to sleep, perhaps you can speak with this Eternity again and demand more answers." Drax stepped in quickly, cutting through the cloud of tension that had formed between them as effectively as he could drive a knife through an enemy.

"Maybe? I mean, he said that he had a connection and could talk to me now? Which is good, because he wasn't making any sense before, and I'm really tired of those stupid nightmares keeping me up. I can find out tonight, I guess."

"Not sooner?"

"I'm not that tired, and the Nova Corps should be calling soon."

"You do not have to be tired." Drax held one fist up. "I am sure I could render you unconscious without harming you."

Peter quickly took a couple steps back. "Dude!"

"No," Nebula said calmly, reaching out one hand to push Drax's fist down. "We still need him awake for the Nova call, and I'm sure Ego would see to it that were repercussions for us assaulting his son." She turned to Peter who had inched sideways so Nebula was more or less between himself and Drax. "Do you have to be unconscious, though? If the connection is stronger now, perhaps you could try calling him?"

Peter waved his arms helplessly. "I don't exactly know the extension for 'beyond the veil.'"

"You could try meditation," Gamora suggested. Peter glanced over his shoulder to find she and Mantis had stopped their training and climbed up the stairs to see what all the fuss was about.

At the sight of her sister, the last of Nebula's good mood vanished. Her face fell into a guarded frown and she shifted further away from the steps.

"I dunno..." Peter murmured. Gamora had taught him the basics of meditation before, and some of it came in handy sometimes when dealing with the worst of the Guardian's discord, but actually sitting down and meditating was... mind-numbing. She'd given up about a week in after he had fallen asleep on her and started snoring for the third time.

"It can't hurt," she reasoned.

"Aren't you busy not teaching Mantis how to fight?" Nebula snapped, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.

Gamora gave her sister a look that was somehow equal parts annoyed and hurt. "I am sure Mantis could use another break by now," she said, her lips twitching when Nebula rolled her eyes. "I was going to teach her the basics anyways, if any of you care to join us?"

Peter glanced at Nebula who stared back at him expectantly for a moment before dropping her arms down. "Just go," she growled with a wave at her sister before turning away. "I've wasted enough time here. I'm going to go check on the rodent's progress and search for the caves again."

Gamora took a hasty step after her sister's retreating form, but hesitated.

"Nebula, wait-" Peter began, but Drax stalled him with a wave.

"I will go with her," Drax said, giving his arms a stretch and rolling his shoulders until they popped. "I do not care for meditation anyways, but you should stay here. It would be a better use of your time if you could get some answers from this Eternity."

Drax turned and jogged to catch up with Nebula, leaving Peter and Gamora staring after them silently. At his side, Gamora drew a long breath and let it out, and when he looked, her carefully neutral face was traced around the edges with just a hint of sadness.

-x-

Meditation practice was just as boring as Peter remembered it being. On the Milano, at least, he had been allowed to sit on his mattress or a pillow. Here, he sat cross legged on the stone court between Mantis and Groot, who had decided to join them. It was made extra difficult with the ceaseless itching of his palms which were exposed to the fresh air for the first time in days, making it impossible to quiet his mind. He was pretty sure at least an hour had passed before he gave up and had to stand to stretch his legs.

"Peter?" Gamora cracked one eye open to stare at him.

"Sorry, sorry," he sighed, dropping back to the ground. "You tried to teach this to me back in my universe too, but I'm just not the meditating type."

"Not if you keep fidgeting," she said, closing her eye and returning to her meditative pose. "You need to relax. Separate your mind from your body."

"Yeah, the only part of me that got that message is my butt." Peter rubbed at his back as he spoke. "It's completely numb."

Mantis let out a giggle beside him which was quickly stifled when Gamora opened her eye once more.

Gamora let out a sigh and stood in one fluid movement that defied the stiffness she should have felt after so long unmoving. "We should take a break for now, anyways," she said, looking at something over Peter's shoulder. He followed her gaze back to find Ego approaching from the pathway he'd vanished down earlier.

When Ego saw Peter looking he gave a wave and diverted his path towards the main building.

Peter gave another long languid stretch before following after. Mantis and Groot rose as well and they all made their way as a group into the open hall where Ego was waiting for them under a large video screen. Today it was Marlowe on the other end of the call.

"Good evening, Peter," she greeted when she caught sight of him.

"Hey Marlowe," Peter gave a wave and an easy smile. "It's actually more like a late lunch time here."

A spark of curiosity flickered across her face and her eyes sparkled like she wanted to ask more questions, but she collected herself and asked instead, "Where is the rest of your crew?"

"Exploring. It's a big planet."

"Have you seen them recently? Are they well?"

Peter quirked an eyebrow at the sudden concern. "Um, yeah, pretty recently. Why are-?"

"And you are well? Nothing has occurred that would break the terms of our agreement?" As she spoke there was an edge to her voice and her gaze flickered in the direction Ego was standing off to the side.

"I'm fine. What's with the questions, did something happen?"

"Cosmo sensed a... well, a disturbance was the best he could describe it to us. He sensed some sort of change in your Light, like it was eclipsed by something else. We were prepared to take more immediate action, but he assured us that he felt no danger to you and requested we wait. So, will you tell us what occurred this- well it would have been this morning, I suppose, for you?"

Peter hadn't even thought of what Cosmo might have sensed. "Yeah, I'm fine. We're all fine. I just met a uh, well I don't know what he was, really, some sort of 'Cosmic being?" He paused to throw a glance at Ego who stepped closer to address the Nova Prime's assistant.

"We were greeted rather unexpectedly by Eternity. It seems he has some sort of mistaken interest in my son, but there is no cause for alarm. We are dealing with it."

Marlowe narrowed her eyes and gave Peter a prompting look.

"It's true," Peter confirmed. "If you ask Cosmo, he might be able to explain it better, but I don't think anyone's in any danger." At least, he hoped not. Eternity might even prove to be useful, but Peter didn't dare voice that hope in front of Ego who was clearly still quite upset over his appearance. "How are things going up there? Have you made any progress finding Gamora's parents?"

Marlowe pursed her lips at his rather transparent change in subject. "Things are settling down. A couple of the members of the Council are still furious, but most of them are in agreement it was the best decision, the rest will come around. As for your request... Dey and I have been looking into our old records in search of known prison planets under Thanos's rule, but our resources are limited, and so far nothing has been very promising. Most of the ones we have records of have been since abandoned or relocated, or are so deep into enemy territory we are unable to find any reliable sources for them."

Peter glanced at Gamora who was standing at his side. Her face was carefully blank again and gave nothing away, but he was sure she was disappointed by the news.

"Do you have any memories," Marlowe asked, "that might help us narrow down our search? Any atmospheric anomalies, unique flora, the color of the sky? Anything at all?"

"Dark..." Gamora said, a wrinkle forming above her brow. "All I remember, under the false memories, is that it was really dark the last time I saw them, but I think we were inside a building. Maybe the smell of dirt. I'm sorry. Everything around the memories involving them gets... especially blurry."

Marlowe sat back with a subtle slump of her shoulders. "It's okay. We'll keep looking, but without anything more definitive to go on we're just firing into the dark here."

-x-

After the call ended Ego was quick to vanish again, apparently having completely lost interest in schooling Peter for the day. Peter was caught between being relieved at getting some time away from him and frustrated that he wasn't there to answer questions and provide help while he was learning to use the Light.

Gamora, Groot, and Mantis returned to their meditation while Peter returned to fiddling with the Light, but with Nebula and Drax still not returned and the rest of his crew busy doing nothing, that quickly grew boring as well.

"I'm going to take a walk," he announced.

Gamora gave him a brief nod but made no other indication she had heard him.

It was nice she was finally talking to him, but the businesslike politeness she was treating him with was a little disheartening. He couldn't really blame her after everything that had gone wrong for her lately; her shattered mind, her missing parents, and the obvious unpleasant feelings between her and her sister... Maybe later he could catch her alone and try to cheer her up. Right now she was busy, and not interrupting her meditation for his 'shenanigans' was a lesson he had learned the hard way back home.

Peter pulled out his Walkman, popped on the headphones and struck out down a pathway he'd never been down before which lead in the general direction Nebula and Drax had wandered off in. The path wound a scenic route around the canyon's edge for a ways and Peter found himself wanting to find a way across to the other side himself. The edge was tall and steep, but this was just the sort of thing the rockets on his boots were good for. The rush of the jump off the cliff's edge and free fall was enough to get him grinning again and he couldn't help the dance in his steps as he cut through the thick forest below towards where he thought Ego's ship was docked and Rocket would be.

As he meandered through the strangely clean and quiet forest he began toying with the prospect of making fire again. He kept the Light to small bundles this time, hoping to avoid a repeat of the earlier disaster.

The sun crept low across the sky. It was still a ways off from setting, but the canyon was cast in shadow and Peter had achieved something almost like flame, maybe closer to lightning, when a voice spoke up.

"If you're going to ignore my advice and keep doing that without a brace, at least go do it by the river so you don't burn the whole forest down." Nebula was stepping out from the trees off to his side, looking much more relaxed than she had been when she'd stormed off earlier.

"I'm being careful," he informed her, holding up his hands to show her the rippling ball of colorful light in his palms.

She made a face at his creation, clearly unimpressed. "What are you doing down here? Did you manage to contact Eternity?"

"No." Peter slumped his shoulders and let the ball of light flicker out of existence. "Where's Drax?"

"He wanted to return before dinner. Don't change the subject. Did you even try, or have you been wandering around trying to start forest fires since I left?"

"I tried!" Peter said defensively, a feint crack in his voice which he quickly tried to cover up. "For a while. It wasn't working, so I figured this would be more productive..."

"But why are you down  _here_?"

"I was hoping I could run into Rocket. It's been two days now -Two and a half- and we haven't seen him." Nebula quirked a brow and he amended; "Well, I haven't."

"And you won't unless he wants you to. He'll hear your stomping clicks away and be long gone before you get there. Go back to the court and keep trying to find a way to contact this entity of yours."

Peter let out a low groan and flopped down onto a nearby rock. "It's so booooring," he heaved. "I was trying for at least an hour, but nothing was happening. No stars, no voices, no creepy feeling of being watched or sound of digging or any of the other usual stuff that comes with him. Just the cold hard stone making my back hurt and my butt go numb."

A look crossed Nebula's face. "Stars...?" she murmured to herself, bringing one hand up towards her face and getting that faraway look again. "And digging... Have you tried using the Light while you meditate?"

"What? Isn't that, like, counter productive?"

"You said that the last time you saw Eternity-the clearest time- was after Ego did something that was supposed to amplify your connection to the Light. And Eternity himself told you that his ability to communicate with you was dependent on the strength of that connection. He also said that he wasn't allowed to interact with this plane of existence..."

"Yeeeees?" Peter said slowly, wishing he could understand her better when she started talking like this. She was as bad as Rocket talking tech sometimes.

Nebula rolled her eyes at his confusion. "He can't enter this plane of existence," she repeated slowly, "so he needs you to step outside of it. If the Light is one of these alternate planes of existence which a Celestial has access to, then maybe you can use it to bridge the gap. Meet him half-way."

"Oh. Oh! I think I get it!" Peter leaped back to his feet, grinning. "Yeah, that could be worth a shot. Come on!" he said, waving her after himself as he jogged back the way he had come.

"Now where are you going?" Her face was screwed up in suspicion, but she followed after him, if somewhat reluctantly.

"To give it a try. There's a nice spot just back here. Not far." He'd passed a small creek a couple minutes back, with a bank that was carpeted in a plush moss. The moss was slick in some places, and he'd slipped and nearly face-planted into the creek climbing over it. If he was going to be stuck sitting on the forest floor, however, he'd rather do it there than in the hard dirt.

The creek side was just as he remembered it, and he quickly found himself a place where the moss had grown over a somewhat flat rock near a broad pool. It was high enough above the water to be not too damp. Nebula paused to lean against a nearby tree and watched silently as he settled into the familiar pose Gamora had taught him and began breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth. It took a while to calm his racing heart and longer still to learn how to reach out toward the Light instead of drawing it towards him. The air was growing steadily chillier when he thought he finally felt something familiar. A spark of excitement distracted him and the tenuous connection snapped.

"Uuuuugh!" Peter let out a long groan and dropped his head. "I don't think this working either."

"No. Keep trying."

Peter glanced up to see Nebula was staring at him with a strange intensity flickering in her eyes.

"I think it was working. Try again."

"Okay," he said after a pause, straightening back up and reaching out again for the Light. This time when he brushed up against the Light, it felt like something was reaching back for him. The sensation almost reminded him of when he'd been swept away in Cosmo's connection to Gamora, but this time when the Light flooded into his veins and swept him up it was less intense.

"What a clever little mortal," a voice rumbled through the silence and Peter's eyes flew open to find the evening forest around him had melted away, replaced with an open sky filled with vibrant galaxies. The small patch of stream bank he sat on drifted through the empty space. When he glanced down at the stream burbling at his side, the water was filled with shards of light and glowed with a strange warmth.

Nebula was still leaning against the tree across from where he sat cross-legged on the mossy stone, the only tree remaining in this new place, but when he looked up to ask her if she could see all of this as well, he realized it wasn't Nebula after all.

"Eternity?" Peter asked.

The blacks of Nebula's eyes were nearly overflowing with their own universe of stars as she watched him curiously. "Hello again, Peter."

"It worked," he breathed, a smile splitting on his face.

Nebula's head tilted as her lips curled in amusement. "Yes," Eternity drawled, "It did. Now why don't we finally have a real talk? Just you and me?"

**End**

**.**

**Chapter 14 Preview:**  "... _Did you think it was a coincidence that you alone, out of all you siblings, could carry the Light? And that Cosmo, a mere beast, not only survived consuming from a Celestial, but now thrives under a power that would have killed any other mortal? Two brothers from Earth are the only mortal beings in the universe to wield the Light in this way, and you never made the connection?" Ego's brow's raised in a mocking expression that was almost fitting on Nebula's face. "Perhaps, you are not so clever yourself_..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a pretty mellow chapter, and I feel like it meanders a lot, but the next one will be much heavier, and soon the time on Ego's planet will be able to be more abstractified so we can move a bit quicker. It was nice to have a more lightweight chapter to work on as I spent most of the last couple weeks getting the rehauls to book 1 up and working on getting Tenebris posted.
> 
> Now that I'm done with the rewrites, hopefully I can focus more on new chapters. Since I'll be updating two stories now, they'll probably be updated with a rotating schedule, but things may go slower or faster in one story depending on how exciting the part is for me, because I have no impulse control.
> 
> Thank you all for continuing to read and a big thank you for the favs and comments, they make my days.
> 
> -OMaM


	14. Frozen Pines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“I know I don't wanna stay here forever, it's time to be moving on._
> 
> _I don't wanna be the only one livin' when all of my friends are gone.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from "Frozen Pines" by Lord Huron
> 
> Guardians of the Galaxy belongs to Marvel

**Chapter 14: Frozen Pines**

Eternity, wearing Nebula's body like a poor imitation -the smile was too bright, the mannerisms too lose- stepped away from the tree he'd been leaning on and it vanished behind him.

"A talk sounds good," Peter said, standing up to face him. "I have some questions."

"I'm sure you do," Eternity said smoothly. "Ask. And with the time we have, I will do my best to answer."

"Your sister, the one helping Thanos-"

"-using Thanos," Eternity corrected him with an easy grin.

"Right. It's Death, right?"

"Yes, that is her mortal designation."

"Okay," Peter breathed. "I'm sure that's good to know, somehow... Next, can you send me back? To my timeline I mean-Can you send me home?"

"No, time is not my designation."

"Worth a shot," Peter let out in a huff. He'd suspected it wouldn't be that easy anyways. "So why do you need me? And, I mean, why now? If this fight of yours has been going on since, well, forever, why wait until Thanos is so powerful?"

Eternity crossed his arms and shrugged them helplessly, the expression looking all kinds of wrong on the assassin. "It wasn't my intention to wait so long. Ego was so caught up in his quest to consume the galaxies that it took far longer than I had hoped to steer him to Earth."

"Why Earth?" Peter couldn't help but ask. He knew he was drawing Eternity away from his own questions, but Eternity had mentioned his impatience to get Ego to Earth twice now. Peter had always assumed it was a fluke that he was able to do what he could, but now he was beginning to suspect otherwise.

"It had to be Earth," Ego confirmed Peter's suspicions. "No other planet carries the Light within its veins like your home world. Did you think it was a coincidence that you alone, of all his children, could carry the Light? And that Cosmo, a mere beast, not only survived consuming from a Celestial, but now thrives under a power that should have consumed him instead? Two brothers from Earth are the only beings in the universe to wield the Light, and you never made the connection?" Ego's brow's raised in a mocking expression that was almost fitting on Nebula's face. "Perhaps, you are not so clever yourself."

Peter scrunched up his face. "There's no Light on Earth, what are you talking about?"

Eternity let out a sigh. "Before Ego, I had an idea that I could fashion a champion myself. I had my remaining Celestials create a body, a perfect being, containing limitless potential to adapt and change, and infused with more Light than had ever before been gifted to a mortal. He was to be my final creation, and in time, my avatar, but he was a failed champion. Too volatile, to wild, and the body simply would not hold up against time and power as I had hoped. Before I could see to its destruction, my sister caught word of what I was planning. She did not know that I had already dismissed the idea, and sent her agents to steal the body from me. I will not waste our time here with all of the details, but the body was lost in the ensuing chaos.

"It wasn't until nearly a millennia later, when the last of the Celestials had been dismissed from existence, that I tracked it down again. It had somehow found its way into one of the least developed patches of the universe. I suspect someone had taken it there for hiding, and their plans had failed, for the vessel it was being transported on was destroyed. It plummeted through the atmosphere and collided with a planet already filled with life. There, it saturated the planet, the bits of his body burned up in the atmosphere and the blood spilled upon his impact were imbued with Light that leaked into the rivers, the land, the very core of the planet Earth. The body did not die upon impact, however. It took time, a great deal of it, but the bits that remained were able to regenerate. I had designed it to be nearly indestructible by mortal means. Time and the impact had done it's damage, though. My first, failed, champion held no memories of his original purpose, and sought to make himself a new life among these feral creatures. He proved to viscous even for them, and was subdued, but his influence had already spread into the populace.

"Humans, Terrans began to appear with unique attributes. The Light that burned within their veins, -barely a drop of water compared to the ocean of power that resides within you even now, but wild and raw- was enough to warp them. My original champion bore DNA from all things that ever were, and bits of this would burst to life at random within his progenies. No other species had ever boasted the sheer variation of powers that cropped up within them. Most developed traits that were simple enough- strange limbs, odd quirks of larger powers belonging to distant alien civilizations, while others might be granted powers that should have been withheld from only the most elite of mortal beings. In others, still, the power lay dormant, but could be drawn forth through moments of extreme distress. Your mother was one of these, possessed of no obvious gift, but blessed with potential. Earth has always been a place of cataclysmic change. Powerful forces from across the galaxies flock to it despite its humble appearance. The Light draws them in- often without their knowledge- something instinctual and beyond their understanding.

So you see, Peter, it had to be Earth. It had to be a human. No other creature could interact with the Light the way they could. All of his other children failed when the Light found no purchase within them and fizzled out long before they were born. Even the ones who came from lines once blessed by the Light were too specialized, and could not handle the sheer power needed for his purpose, and when he tried to force the connection the power consumed them. Burned them up from within."

"And they died..." Peter breathed, his head reeling from all he had learned. His mother had possessed the Light?

"All but you, Peter," Eternity was continuing as Peter's head span. "You were born to the Light. You were born for this. For me."

Peter's head snapped up.

"What do you even think I can do here?" he demanded, unsettled as ever by the hunger that seemed to be always present in Eternities eyes. "I'm not strong enough to take on Thanos right now. I couldn't even take on Ronan. He thrashed me, in case you forgot about the whole me almost dying thing, because I haven't." He held up his still healing hands for proof.

"That's why you need me," Eternity soothed, stepping closer again. "To help you. To offer guidance and lend you power. You are capable of so much more than you ever dreamed. You're right, you're not strong enough to defeat him on your own right now, but with my help, you can be. My sister wants to shift the balance of power in the universe by removing uncountable souls from existence, I merely want to prevent that tragedy. Would you truly refuse to help me for fear of losing your own life? You have my word that I will do everything within my considerable abilities to preserve it. I have no intention of sacrificing you to my cause, Peter." Eternity was standing right in front of Peter now, staring up at him with dizzying stars swirling in his eyes. Peter felt like he could fall into them and be lost in their terrifying depths forever.

"What about my friends? Would you sacrifice them?"

Eternity hesitated for a moment. "I would prefer no one die beyond the natural order, and with the powers I lend you, wouldn't you be all the more able to protect them? Isn't that why you're here on Ego's planet to begin with? I would only help you further that goal."

"I-I don't know-"

"You do not have to answer this moment," Eternity cut off Peter's stuttering reply. "We have some time, but only some, so I will give you that time to think. Now, you are growing weak. Is there anything else you would ask before you return?"

An idea struck him suddenly. "Gamora's parents! You know all the souls in the Universe right? So you must know where they are."

Eternity pursed his lips and tilted his head. "Not necessarily. I do not keep tabs on every living soul any more than you know each individual cell which makes up your body. I would not know where in the cosmos they are."

"Could you find them, though? At this rate-"

"I will look into the matter if you wish, but you may find them long before I do. It is time to sever the connection so you may return to your world before you exhaust yourself too far. You may call on me again when you are rested and ready. Until then, think on what I've said." Eternity raised his hand and placed one slender blue finger against Peter's forehead, much as Ego had that morning, and he was swept away.

-x-

Peter awoke with a gasp, his lungs burning for air as if he'd been holding his breath the whole time he was gone.

"Peter?" Nebula's voice, tinged with worry, reached his ears between his heaves.

"Ah'm-" he choked out. "Ah'm okay... I'm alright... Just gotta catch my breath." A few more gasps and he was feeling better. With a cough to clear his throat he straightened back up and found Nebula hovering over him, one hand held out like she had been reaching towards him.

"Your eyes," she said, straightening up, but remaining unusually close.

Peter reached up to pat at his face, suddenly worried he was weeping blood or something equally horrifying, but he felt nothing. "What's wrong with my eyes?" he asked.

"You should... look at your reflection," she said slowly, indicating the nearby pool.

While Peter had been out, the world had grown considerably darker. The sun must be setting up above. Curious, Peter stumbled to the edge of the pool and summoned a ball of energy to his palms to use as a source of light. It came, but it was sluggish and surprisingly difficult to summon, and he was hit with a wave of unprecedented exhaustion.

It took a moment for him to realize that the shadows weren't playing tricks on him, and in his reflection his eyes were flooded with a deep purple, cut through with sparkling stars and colorful blobs of galaxies. He looked like Eternity. The edges of his eyes were traced with the deep black and purple, dark cracks running through his skin like he'd been poisoned. As he probed at the discolored flesh, the effect began to fade, his eyes returning to their normal bright color and the spiderwebs retreating.

"Whoah," Peter couldn't help but say. "Were they like that the whole time?"

Nebula appeared beside him at the pool. "Nearly. They were glowing white at first, similar to how Cosmo's appear at times, but then they started turning into... this." She waved one hand to gesture at his face where the last traces of the darkness were fading away. "Did you find him, then?"

Peter let the ball of Light in his hand flicker out, too tired to keep it going right now. "Yeah. I found him. And I think we should go back to the others to talk."

Nebula glanced up at the rapidly darkening sky. "I know a shortcut back."

The assassin lead him through the forest, cutting a path through the trees that took them to the canyon's edge much faster than it had taken Peter to come out. Peter let out a long sigh as they approached the bottom of the sheer drop.

"Can you get up?" Nebula asked him.

"Yeah, my boots'll get me up." It wouldn't be graceful, but he knew he could make that distance. "Do you want a lift?"

Nebula made a face and inched away as if she thought he might reach out and try to grab her. "No," she said. "I'll meet you up there."

-x-

The others were waiting for them back in the greenhouse dining room. With the sun sunk below the horizon, Peter had expected to have to eat his dinner in the darkness, but apparently Mantis had mentioned the lack of lighting when she'd seen Ego before breakfast that morning and Ego had fashioned some small light sources into the greenhouse. The others had already eaten, but there were a couple of plates left out for Peter and Nebula. While Peter ate, he shared the details of his latest encounter with Eternity.

"Your eyes were filled with galaxies?" Mantis asked with a gasp as his story came to an end, leaning over the table and craning her head as though she was checking to see if there were any stars left inside of them.

"Yeah, it was crazy! I looked like Eternity. It faded pretty quick, though."

"Did you feel strange?" she asked, eyes shining bright with excitement and curiosity.

"Just tired," Peter admitted. "I guess there's some sort of time limit for how long I can talk with him. Or something. It's not that bad, though. I'm already feeling better."

"How long do you think you managed?" Drax asked.

Peter chewed his lip in thought. "I dunno, a few minutes, maybe more, but not that long. I asked him about your parents, too," Peter said, pausing with his food half-way to his mouth to address Gamora. "He didn't know anything. I'm sorry."

Across the table, Gamora gave a dismissive gesture with her hands, but said nothing, and the table fell into a sullen silence for a while after that.

"Has there been any word from Ego?" Nebula asked Mantis once she had finished eating and was gathering her dishes. "Will he be returning to tutoring Peter tomorrow?"

"I do not know," Mantis answered quietly. "He has not been back since the call from the Nova Corps."

Nebula rolled her eyes in obvious disapproval before leaving to clean her dishes.

Again, Peter was caught between relief and a sense of duty. "With or without him, I'll keep working on it tomorrow," he promised the Guardians. "I think I almost have fire down, and it's not like Ego was being all that helpful anyways."

Mantis's dark eyes flickered up at him as though he'd just said something scandalous.

"Speaking of tomorrow, I believe it is time to turn in." Gamora rose from her chair. She was speaking loud enough that she was probably including everyone in her statement, but she was looking pointedly at Mantis. "Get some rest, and make sure you stretch before you sleep or you will be unable to continue tomorrow."

"I will," Mantis promised as she stood as well, folding her hands and giving Gamora soft bow. "Have a good night, everyone."

The remaining Guardian's murmured their goodnights and everyone filtered away as Peter gathered his own dishes and brought them to the small room leading off from the dining room where the dishes were stored. A sink sat in one corner, and Peter set his dished into it. He briefly considered just leaving them to deal with the mess in the morning until Nebula, who had been putting her dishes back where they belonged cleared her throat.

"If you leave them there, Mantis will be stuck with them in the morning."

"Yeah," Peter sighed, grabbing the scrubber and turning on the water. "If Ego can just make this stuff at will, why doesn't he have a system where he just makes new ones every day?"

"Don't be a spoiled brat." Nebula closed the last cupboard with a soft click and Peter felt a heat rise on his cheeks at her admonishment.

"Sorry," he mumbled. She said nothing, which was probably as good as forgiveness right now. Over the sound of running water he could hear her footsteps leading towards the door. "Are you going back out?"

The footsteps stopped. "You're too exhausted to come with me, and I'm not dragging you back if you collapse."

Peter stifled a laugh at the thought. "That's not what I was after, but thanks for you're concern. It's been a few days and I don't think Rocket has been back yet..."

"Out with it."

"I was wondering if you could bring him something?"

"No."

"But-"

"I am not your delivery service. He is perfectly capable of surviving without our help. If you ask Mantis, I'm sure some food has mysteriously gone missing by now."

"I know," Peter huffed, turning off the water and grabbing a towel to dry with. "We've been here for a while now, though, and might need to leave soon. How am I supposed to explain everything and talk some sense into him if I never actually talk to him?"

"If you're that worried about it, stay here tonight, and maybe he'll come through. If he doesn't, I will show you a way through the canyon tomorrow."

-x-

Peter did end up waiting for Rocket. He spent most of the time laying on the table and tossing a cup up to catch to keep himself awake, and wishing he had thought to ask Nebula to get his Walkman and maybe a pillow. She probably would have said no, but he could have at least asked, sometimes she surprised him. When his eyelids grew too heavy and his game of catch wasn't enough to keep them open anymore – leading him to miss a catch and the cup to land smack across the bridge of his nose- he moved to sit on the steps outside instead where the cool night air breathed a new life into his veins, bringing a plate of food with him just in case.

Nothing was happening, and he was considering turning in and getting at least some sleep before the sun rose on a new day when Rocket suddenly made an appearance.

"You're in the way, jackass."

Peter nearly leaped out of his skin. He hadn't even seen Rocket approach. One moment the court was empty, the next Rocket was standing on the steps off to Peter's side, his eyes glowing red against the silver moonlight and deep blue shadows. His team was comprised of three assassins, now that this universe's Rocket could fall into that category, that was nearly half. It was like trying to keep track of a bunch of feral cats in the dark; some times he couldn't find them to save his life, other times he couldn't seem to take a step without tripping over one.

"Rocket?" Peter straightened. "I was waiting for you."

"Yeah, I got that impression. Now move. Your fat ass is blockin' the door."

Peter glanced back at the open doorway behind himself. It was a good few yards back, and there was plenty of room for Rocket to walk past him, but apparently this was too close. "I was actually hoping to talk to you." He grabbed the plate at his side and held it up. "I brought food?"

Rocket's muzzle wrinkled in the beginnings of a sneer. "I'll get my own, Stalker-lord. This is the last time I'll ask so nicely; move, or else."

"Fine," Peter pouted, scooting a few feet to the side and taking a bite of the food himself, out of spite more than anything else.

This didn't seem to impress Rocket very much, who stalked silently past him and vanished into the doorway with a look of warning that made it fairly clear just what level of pain Peter could expect if he was stupid enough to try to follow. There was only one exit, so Peter waited, snacking on his plate of rejected food, until Rocket returned.

"We can't stay here forever you know," Peter said as his yet-unwilling friend stepped back through the doorway. His eyes had reverted to their normal brown when he had entered the room, still bright from the new lighting system Ego had added in. "I need to go after Gamora's parents, and the Nova Corps is going to want us back eventually. It would be a lot easier for everyone if we could maybe... talk, and make plans before that happens?"

"I don't give half a flying Orlani's ass what promises you were dumb enough to make Gams, and I'm not working for you or for the Nova Corps."

"I'm not asking you to do anything except not get yourself and the rest of us killed, Okay?" Peter tried.

Rocket paused at the top of the steps to narrow his eyes and tilt his head. "And what if I tell you where you can shove your hero act, and take my first opportunity of freedom anyways? What are you going to do to stop me."

The food nearly slid off of the plate in his hands as Peter deflated miserably. "Nothing," he murmured, staring at the tips of his boots. "I couldn't stop you if I wanted to, and I won't force you to stay. I'll ask, though, or beg, or bribe. We need you, Rocket, and I just want to help you, what can I possibly do to convince you of that?"

"Well as luck would have it, I do believe you."

Peter's head whipped up, hope blooming in his chest so hard it physically hurt, but the humor in Rocket's eyes was dark and cruel.

"I believe you couldn't stop me even if you wanted to," he said with a wicked curve of his lips.

Peter opened his mouth, but nothing came out. What was he supposed to do here? Rocket stared back at him for a long and terrible silence, like he was waiting for something, probably for Peter to change his mind or lose his temper after all, to tip his hand and prove this was all some sort of act. Peter did nothing, and, eventually, Rocket blinked. When he opened his eyes again they were red, and he was heading down the stairs, away from Peter.

On the last step he paused.

"You're looking in the wrong place, by the way."

It took Peter a moment to process the words. "What?"

"For Gams's parents," Rocket glanced back over his shoulder, his ears pinned back against his skull. "You're looking in the wrong spot, you'll never find them on some outdated prison that's probably been disbanded by now, you need somewhere more recent."

"Do you know where they-?"

"No. Ain't never seen 'em myself. But every time they send her away for her 'visits,' she comes back all loopy like she just had a fresh lobotomy, babbling on about how great her parents are and much she  _loves_  them." Rocket made a disgusted face at this. "Last time they sent her somewhere new, somewhere closer to the front lines, and she came back reeking of manure. The smell hung around our whole Flarkin mission. I'm surprised it didn't give us away."

Peter's brows drew together. "How do you know where the Nova Corps is looking?"

"The video is routed through the ship, numbnuts. Guess Ego never thought to change that. I can see everything they send."

"Oh," Peter breathed. "Well, thanks Rocket, but why the sudden-?"

Rocket turned to face Peter fully. "How did you know about the Hadron Enforcer?" he asked, his eyes narrowed accusingly. "That's my weapon, I invented it. I only ever told one person what I named it and I know she ain't never told nobody. Never had the d'asted chance to- so how does someone like you know?"

"You told me. You tried to save me and Gamora with it, and later, you and Drax used it to destroy Ronan's hammer so I could grab the Stone. It was a bit different there. You had to have Drax fire it because it had such a big kickback."

There was a spark of something in his eyes, like a recognition or surprise, but before Peter could place it, Rocket turned away and was leaving. Peter sat back down on the steps and let him go without protest. He was pretty sure this had been some sort of test, and he had somehow managed to pass it.

**End**

**.**

**Chapter 15 Preview:** "... _Oh!" Mantis exclaimed. "I_ thought _there were less plates than usual. I wonder what he has been doing with them?"_

_"Probably throwing them into the canyon," Nebula supplied without looking up from her own food._

_"Yes," a familiar voice drawled out from the doorway. "He has quite the arm on him_..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter would have been up days ago, but I couldn't find a title I loved. I caved and went with this. Both the opening and closing scenes were thing's I've had planned for ages, but they wound up not being attached to certain events I had in mind, so they're this little floaty bubble without an attached song. Eternity's scene was supposed to be a part of a chapter called 'On the Mountain Tall,' which wound up being changed around and replaced with another one. I might use it later on for a more Thanos-y chapter, since it fits his movie-version (But it didn't fit his comic self.). And Rocket's was supposed to be attached to 'The Queen of Peace,' which should be the next chapter.
> 
> Rocket calls Gamora Gams in the comics and cartoons. Honestly, I can't remember if he uses it in the movies. I haven't had time to watch them recently, but I don't think he does. Still, it gives me a way to highlight the difference in their dynamics in the new universe if so.
> 
> Ever since I decided to include Ego, which was a pretty early decision, I began working on this idea of the Light on Earth. Later, part of why I added Cosmo in (Aside from the fact I adore him, and he balances out Supergiant, and fills a lot of necessary plot moments) is that I could use him to link back to why Peter has the Light but no one else does. (I never could find a canon explanation anywhere for how Cosmo got the Light beyond getting it from the head on Knowhere.) It also let me link this story back to Earth and add in the X-men, making the 'wild Light' the 'X-factor' which somehow inexplicably allows humans to spout both physical attributes and psychic or reality-warping abilities. Deadpool wound up being a big contributor to the idea as well, with the idea that the gene could be activated in times of extreme stress. I decided to link this in to the 'seeing the light when you die' thing, which may come up later in Tenebris, and came up in a way when Peter almost died and he saw both the Light and the Nothing (dark). That is, humans seeing the flash of light when they die is the Light trying desperately to keep its host alive.
> 
> This was a much bigger plot point before IW came out and I had to completely redo my version of Thanos, and a huge chunk of the story, but it's still going to be relevant. Anyways, about a month ago I discovered that in some of the Marvel comics, it actually is canon that the X-gene came from a Celestial which crashed to Earth, who's corpse rotted and soaked into the core of the Earth then saturated the planet, leading to mutants. My original plan was to use Apocalypse, the 'original mutant,' which my bad memory thought had crashed to earth, not been born on it, lol. I kind of still kept it, and compromised with myself by having Apocalypse be a kind of 'reborn' vessel, or the remains of the vessel's attempts to heal its self, leading to a baby with no recollection of its purpose, but possessing insane power. It makes it more complicated, but makes me happier, and gives me another thread to sew Tenebris in with(It can also be a way to explain why there are so many mutant humans, yet no such animals, though both reside on Earth and should have been infused equally. Humans with any relation to him can carry the mutant gene, while the rest of the humans and animals posses a sort of 'tolerance' for it, like Cosmo). Ultimately, I think this version works better anyways, so it can blur the timeline between Ego's birth and Peter's. Although we're never given a real idea of how old Ego is, aside from the universe already possessing intelligent life by the time he began exploring, it felt too close, and it was bothering me.
> 
> There's still more to it, more details to get into, and more links to make, but here goes one of the big reveals of the story(At least for me). Nothing to do now but cross my fingers and hope no one hates it. Everyone here is so supportive and nice, I don't know why I'm always terrified.
> 
> Also, I've posted up some Luciferous related art on my related tumblr; ThereareMonstersintheDark. Mostly Mantis and Ego stuff.
> 
> Sorry for the wall of text.
> 
> -OMaM


	15. Hot Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"You wanna prove you're the better man._
> 
> _You wanna reach for the things that nobody can."_
> 
> -Hot Blood by KALEO 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from Hot Blood by KALEO.
> 
> GotG belongs to Marvel.

**Chapter 15: Hot Blood**

**.**

The next morning couldn't come soon enough. Despite managing only a couple of hours of sleep after Rocket left, Peter was all but skipping down the pathway towards the main court while the rest of the Guardians made their sluggish way to breakfast.

"I cannot make a call," Mantis informed him apologetically. "Only Ego can."

Peter let out a groan, and let his skipping die down to an anxious pacing. "Is he at least done pouting today? The sooner I can talk to Marlowe the better." Seven cycles. He had seven standard cycles left. And that was with Gamora letting the time difference between the Starburst and Ego's planet work in his favor. He didn't need to lose more time to Ego's apparent spat with Eternity.

"I have not seen him, yet." Her voice was quieter now. She always seemed to get uncomfortable when Peter insulted Ego outright. "Perhaps he will come after breakfast."

"Can't you call him or something?"

"No, when he needs me he finds me..."

Gamora, who had been suspiciously quiet and withdrawn since Peter had shared Rocket's insight, spoke up now. "What if  _you_  need  _him_?"

"Ego knows everything that happens here. If I am injured or unwell, he will find me."

"Which doesn't really help us at the moment," Peter grumbled.

"Let us wait until after breakfast," Drax suggested. "If he has not shown up by the usual time, perhaps we can injure Peter and see if that summons him."

Peter whipped his head around to give the maniac a dirty look and Drax broke out into laughter, clapping Peter on the back. "I am joking," he clarified, but his bright smile was not nearly as convincing as he probably thought it was. "We will find some other way."

Breakfast rolled by slowly, with Peter sharing the last night's encounter in greater detail between taking bites of his food and glancing restlessly at the door.

"Oh!" Mantis exclaimed. "I thought there were less plates than usual. I wonder what he has been doing with them?"

"Probably throwing them into the canyon," Nebula supplied without looking up from her own food.

"Yes," a familiar voice drawled out from the doorway. "He has quite the arm on him."

"Ehggo?" Peter choked out around a bite of food as he nearly leaped from his chair. "Thur y'hrrr!"

"Yes, here I am."

Peter swallowed his mouthful of dry biscuit as quickly as he could manage, which only left him hacking and having to hold up one finger to stall his father as he took a big swig from his cup of water. "I need to make a call," he finally got out.

"Can it wait?" Ego asked, his usual arrogant tone seemed tamped down, and there was a strange tiredness to his features.

"Not really, I need to call the Nova Corps as quickly as possible."

Ego made a face at that, but relented after a moment and waved Peter after himself as he turned around and left the way he had come.

-x-

It took some time for their hail to be answered, and then the patrol had to send someone back to inform the main fleet of Peter's request to speak with Marlowe or Saal. It took nearly an hour for them to receive a hail back. In that time, Peter had finally thought to asked after a brace. Ego summoned one of such nice quality and with such offhanded ease, hardly more than a twitch of his finger, that it left Peter with a burning pit of envy in his chest, and left him considering how very little he could do with the Light in comparison. Gamora and Mantis returned to their practice in the court, and once his brace was set, Peter relocated to the stairs to sit next to Groot and watch them until Ego called him back in.

Peter relayed the information to Marlowe, who appeared a bit tired and disheveled herself as she answered his call. Apparently he was interrupting her late lunch break, which she was now forced to take on a shuttle outside of the magnetic fields. He got the feeling, from her flat expression, that she didn't quite consider his, admittedly not very specific, information as big of an emergency as he did.

"Well," she mumbled around a spoonful of some sort of soup that sat on the small makeshift desk in front of her, as she held up a tablet with her other hand. "If it's a more recent acquisition, that doesn't really narrow it down all that much. Thanos has taken a lot of territory with these last few pushes. Ronan's front alone has-"

"But it's gotta be easier to check the ones closer to the front lines, right?" Marlowe's complete lack of enthusiasm was undercutting his earlier optimism.

"Not necessarily." She glanced up from her tablet to shoot him a look for the interruption, but rather than say anything about it, she took another bite of her lunch before continuing. "The newer ones will have more security and higher levels of traffic in the surrounding space. Finding out who's there will be a lot more difficult. I'll check our records and see if there have been any recent refugees who have been through any of the more newly indentured planets, maybe one of them will have seen something."

Peter's disappointment must have been written plainly across his face, because when she looked up next, she paused and lowered her spoonful of soup back into the bowl, giving him her full attention for the first time since answering the call and assuring it wasn't an emergency. "At least we have a direction to move in now," she told him. "Keep your chin up. We're not slacking off up here, so just focus on developing your powers and leave this to us, okay? If you find anything else out that might be useful you can let me know during the usual call. It's risky enough sending out these communications once a cycle, we don't need to be drawing even more attention to ourselves. We can count this as our communication for today."

"Okay," he muttered. "Thanks again, Marlowe. Sorry."

Marlowe narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips slightly, like she wasn't sure if Peter was being sarcastic or sincere. After a moment she relaxed and offered him a faint smile. "Keep yourself safe, Peter."

The call ended then, and Peter was left once more with the terrible sensation of having to sit around and wait for someone else.

"I saw you were trying to move on to fire," Ego told Peter as he waved the screen away. "Let's work on refining your control over the more physical elements first. You can still barely create anything larger than that staff your companion is using, and you could use some finer control of the form as well if you intend to do anything useful with this power."

"So you're going to keep training me?" Peter asked. He'd honestly been a bit worried after Ego had just up and left so quickly after meeting Eternity.

Ego grit his teeth and worked his jaw for a moment before answering. "My reasoning behind my offer to train you has not changed. This only confirms the Titan's interest in you, and shortens our timetable considerably. A clash with him at this stage is inevitable. I would prefer to not have to deal with Eternity at all, but it seems that, too, is... inevitable." His face dropped into a scowl and Peter wondered what he had been up to during this time. Had he been meeting with Eternity? Did Ego know more about this 'stepping out of reality' nonsense? Peter opened his mouth to ask him just that when Ego seemed to anticipate his intent and spoke over him. "Say goodbye to your friends, you can see them again later."

Peter followed Ego back to the Seafoam Court, waving a brief goodbye to the Guardians in the court as he passed. Gamora was busy adjusting Mantis's stance and grip on her weapon while Drax observed intently. Nebula was sprawled on her back staring into the sky some distance away, and didn't seem to notice Peter's departure. Groot was the only one who waved back.

-x-

Training with Ego was was somehow both brutal and mind-numbing in its repetition. Lunch time was spent largely with his forehead pressed against the table as he drifted in and out until Nebula shook him awake and informed him the others had all returned to the fountain court without him.

His plate had hardly been touched, so he brought it with him to pick at while he sat on the steps. It seemed Drax had finally grown bored enough to step in and help with Gamora's lessons. Mantis was sitting cross-legged on the ground while the maniac and assassin held a mock battle to, if Peter was understanding Gamora's distant words correctly, demonstrate how to use the bo staff to defend against a blade wielder. Nebula had hung around long enough to make some disparaging comments about Gamora's teaching methods, before wandering off to some undisclosed location.

By the time he was released for dinner, Peter had expanded his repertoire of stone to include everything from flaky sheets of shale, to a smooth polished marble, and all the lumpy, grey things in between that Nebula or Rocket could probably prattle off all sorts of names for with ease, but Peter found undeserving of any title beyond 'rock.' He could also form a larger range of shapes now. An oversized Pac Man statue now loomed over the seafoam court. Ego didn't seem to find its hungry grin nearly as amusing as Peter did. He doubted it would still be there when they returned tomorrow.

-x-

Once dinner was eaten and cleared away, Peter settled down as comfortably as he could on the steps beside the fountain. The sun was setting in a fiery display and the first stars were beginning to freckle the sky, but as much as he longed to flop onto his bed, he needed to at least try to contact Eternity before he could do so. As he tugged his legs into a more comfortable position and scrubbed at his eyelids which seemed to weigh a thousand pounds each, Gamora, Mantis and Groot, who had followed him down here, found there own places to rest as well. When Peter opened his eyes Gamora was perched neatly on the edge of the fountain, watching him with a thinly veiled interest and haloed against the water which was glowing gold in the fading light. He was so distracted by the sight that he didn't notice Mantis approaching, so he nearly jumped out of his skin when she dropped down to sit right in front of him.

"Eagh!" Peter shouted, throwing his arms up, suddenly much more awake than he had been. "Way too close!"

"I am sorry!" Mantis squeaked out, but only scooted a few inches back, looking torn. "I was... hoping your eyes might light up again..."

"Oh, um..." The alarm melted away and Peter let himself relax back into something like a meditation pose, ignoring the heat crawling onto his cheeks at Gamora's faintly amused grin from where she was watching silently. "Okay. That's fine I guess, just, a little warning next time."

Somewhere behind him, Groot gave a reedy chuckle and it took a great deal of willpower to pretend he didn't hear it and close his eyes instead. Reaching out to the Light was surprisingly easy and the soft burbling of the fountain and distant rustling of the empty forest quickly lulled his mind into an empty state.

"Hello again."

Peter opened his eyes to find that once more the world around him had been stolen away and replaced with Eternity's starscape. Only a portion of the steps he had been sitting on and a small patch of courtyard underneath Mantis remained. The empath's eyes were glittering back at him from over a grin that was as familiar as it was concerning by now. Eternity was uncomfortably close, but Peter at least had been expecting this and managed to avoid flinching.

"We really need to work on your entrances," he grumbled as he scooted back on the limited amount of solid ground behind him.

Eternity's lips twitched, clearly amused. "Does this form not please you?" he asked. "You seemed fond enough of her when you risked your life and so many others' to get her back."

"That's not what-"

"Yes, yes, you mortals and your attachment to these bodies," Eternity stood and disdainfully flicked a strand of Mantis's hair back. "I suppose it's to be expected to an extent, being such an integral part of this realm, but do you truly struggle so hard to tell it is me?"

"It's not that," Peter struggled to form his complaint into words. "It's just... creepy."

Eternity opened his mouth and Peter held up a hand.

"Knowing it's not them doesn't help. It's still creepy. Mantis doesn't," Peter waved at hand at the weird scowl that was painted over her features. "Well, she doesn't make that face. She doesn't... look like that. She doesn't sound like that."

Mantis's face just screwed up even more. "She looks and sounds exactly like this," Eternity stated. "All of this is pulled from your own mind."

"No, I mean, yes, but not  _like that_." This really wasn't what Peter had been planning to waste all of his time on. "Seeing someone I know so well behave so differently is... off-putting..."

"I see," Eternity murmured, though he still looked a bit dubious. "I cannot remedy this, however, and we have more pressing matters to discuss with our limited time here. You will have to make do."

Peter blew a raspberry at that, but the divine being shoved into the petite and unassuming form of the Guardians' least violent member had a point.

"Have you had time to think further on my offer?" Eternity inquired.

To be honest, Peter hadn't. He'd been kept so busy this past cycle that while the knowledge of his last encounter with Eternity had never once really left his mind, he still hadn't found the time to sit down and decide what to say once he saw the cosmic being again.

"Not really, and I think I'm still not clear on what your offer is, exactly. A few vague promises of help and power, in exchange for... what? What exactly is my half of he deal here? I'm not into making magic deals where you steal my soul and put it in a jar for your collection or something."

A laugh burst from Eternity. "I need an agent in this plane. You are most suited to that job. I do not need your soul in a jar. As long as you live, it is already mine anyways."

That did little to reassure Peter.

"You and I both want my sister thwarted. For now, isn't that enough?"

Peter narrowed his eyes. He hadn't been living as a Ravager for all these years for nothing. Eternity was clearly hiding something behind his back, but as things were now Peter had no way of making him reveal what it was. As much as the cosmic being gave him the heebie jeebies, though, he would be stupid to dismiss his help entirely. Peter would just have to go with it for now and watch his words carefully until Eternity tipped his hand. Historically, this wasn't his strong suit.

"But perhaps a small demonstration  _would_  be helpful. Trust is earned, after all, not given, and I am not above paying my dues. The next time you are practicing drawing on the Light, call to me as well. You may be pleasantly surprised by what occurs. Allow me to help you for now, and I will ask nothing in return."

"Just like that?"

"I believe in time you'll come to see my assistance is... invaluable."

"And then you can ask for whatever you want?"

"You are so determined to find something wicked in me." Eternity clicked his tongue and shook his head as though disappointed in Peter. "Now, we are nearly out of time again, and there are other matters which demand our attention. I have been keeping an eye on the movements of the universe. My reach into this realm is limited without your aid, but lately I have found new stirrings in Thanos's army. As of yet, they have made no moves, but I fear they are gathering for something. My sister is preparing for the next step of her plan. Whatever it is, it seems it will require a great deal of power or care. I am hoping that if we can discover her intent and circumvent it, it may provide a way to cripple her efforts."

"So... what do you want us to do about it from here?"

"For now? Nothing. Keep focusing on building your relationship with the Light. You will likely need it for the next step of your journey."

"Have you found anything about-"

"It is time to go." Eternity reached up to tap Peter lightly on the forehead and the world around him crumpled away.

-x-

Worn out from his long day and the missing hours of sleep from the night before, Peter was especially difficult to rouse the next morning. According to Groot, Mantis had spent a good several minutes knocking on his door with increasingly frantic words before Drax, with a total lack of regard for personal space, and perhaps in some small spirit of revenge, had merely shoved the door open and dragged Peter bodily from his mattress. Despite this, once awake, he was feeling rather well rested and refreshed. Even the cuts on his hands weren't itching like they had before, and the skin was knitting back together nicely. He was hopeful they wouldn't even scar once all was said and done.

Drax's wound, too, was healing swiftly, sped along by the break they had all been given on Ego's planet. While Gamora and Mantis returned to their stretches and warm up in the court, Drax sat at the top of the stairs where Nebula was helping him remove the metal stitches from his chest.

"And you're sure they're ready to all come out so soon?" Peter asked as he eyed the seam in the flesh where it was still growing back together. "You don't want to leave a few in for support?"

"It will be fine," Nebula muttered as she worked the next band free. She was using some sort of tool in her bionic hand to help break the bands apart before removing them. Two small holes at the start of the wound were still oozing blood from where Drax had been simply ripping them out before Nebula had taken over.

"We are doing nothing to aggravate it here," Drax added. "Besides, they have begun to itch."

"You won't strain it practicing with Gamora and Mantis?"

Nebula let out a loud snort that shook her shoulders. "A  _toddler_  wouldn't be strained at the rate they've been moving."

"Why is this bothering you so much?" Peter asked, tugging one leg up so he could rest his elbow against it.

"It's not," Nebula answered easily enough, but over her head Drax shared a look with Peter that showed the maniac believed her about as much as Peter did.

"It sure seems to be."

"There are six other life forms on this planet, Peter. Can't you go be nosy with someone else and give me some peace for once." Nebula yanked out Drax's next staple with a bit more force than was probably necessary. A tiny dot of red beaded against the skin where it had been removed.

"Well yeah, sure," Peter said and Nebula seemed to relax just a fraction. "I mean, I  _won't_ , but I could-"

"That's it." Nebula pulled out the next staple in her hand a viscous twist and flicked it away as she rose to her feet. "I'm done."

"Hey!" Peter shouted, but Nebula was already stalking off. "Nebula, come back, I was joking! Nebula! Aaaaaand she's gone. Very mature."

"You could not have waited until she was finished?" Drax grumbled, plucking at the small handful of remaining staples.

"Sorry."

-x-

Ego came not too long after that and it was back to the court. As predicted, there was no more Pac Man statue. They began with the usual routine of Peter summoning as much material as he could at one time while he chewed over Eternitie's proposal from the night before in his head. He had no clue what was supposed to happen if he called on Eternity here. Wouldn't it just take him out of his body to that weird starscape land? That hardly seemed useful.

"It's improvement," Ego nodded to himself as he considered the twisting pile of rock before them, solid and shaped loosely to resemble the Milano, but barely any taller than Peter himself. "I think you could do more if you pushed yourself harder. Let's try again."

Peter let out a long breath and began gathering the Light again. This time, as he summoned it he tried to reach out for Eternity. At first nothing happened except a brief stuttering of the energy between his palms, and it took some time for Peter to figure out how to focus on both things at once. As he began building the next form out of stone, he felt the sensation of something reaching back for him. All at once, a tingling burned through his veins and the ball of Light in his hands seemed to burst into a life of its own and rip from his control.

"AHHH!" Peter yelped in surprise, leaping back as if he could bodily yank himself from the Light and stumbling, landing hard on his ass. The connection severed and the energy around him settled down, pooling from his body as quickly at it had come. "Whoah!" Where he had been building a reasonably sized statue a moment ago, there now loomed what would be more accurately described as a small hill. The spiked edges of pile of stone spilled beyond the edges of the court and loomed high above the surrounding forest. "Well that's... pretty useful."

Peter glanced up at Ego, who was standing to the side, his face frozen like it had been etched from ice and his hands balled into tight fists as he stared at the miniature mountain of stone.

"How's that for improve-" he began, leaping to his feet only for the world to lurch around him, sending him tumbling right back down. Okay. Whatever that was was probably going to take some getting used to. Peter rose to his feet again, more carefully this time, as his legs trembled like jell-o underneath him. "Whew. I don't remember the Light having such a kick last time."

 _Perhaps, I overdid it._ Eternity's voice, sounding something like Ego, but distant and warped, rang through Peter's head.  _I did not account for the natural amplification so close to Ego's core..._ The cosmic being sounded much more bemused than apologetic, but Peter was too busy being elated by his newfound power to feel insulted by that.

There was a long beat of silence then, save for the distant creaking of some trees straining under the sudden assault. "I take it you have made contact with Eternity," Ego finally ground out through a tight jaw.

"Uh, yeah."

Ego gave a disdainful sniff and looked as if he had quite a few unpleasant things to say about that, but instead when he opened his mouth next the only thing that came out was a curt. "I see. I would suggest you think very carefully about whatever... help he believes he can offer you."

Peter wanted desperately to point out the hypocritical nature of that comment coming from Ego, who had literally forced Peter to come here and accept the Celestial's version of 'help' under threat of his friend's safety, but when he turned his head to say something to that point, the world spun too quickly around him and he stumbled right back to his knees.

"You are going to be useless for a while."

"No, no, I'm good." Peter heaved himself back upright, trying to be subtle about how he had to spread his arms out slightly to find his balance again. "I can keep going, I'll just uh, tone it down a bit, maybe."

 _It is not a gift you should use carelessly,_  Eternities disjointed voice echoed strangely through Peter's mind again, fainter now, like it was fading along with the strange burst of Light through his veins. _But it may come in handy along the way..._

"Yeah, I would say so," Peter panted, shaking his head when Ego gave him another look. "Nothing. Where were we?"

**End**

**Chapter 16 Preview:**  "... _You're back early," Drax commented as Peter and Nebula returned to the group. He had been busy polishing his blades at the top of the steps, but had lowered them at the pair's approach._

 _"I am Groot?" Groot asked, scrunching his face at what Peter was sure looked like a rather dopey smile, but try as he might, he just couldn't seem to wipe it away_..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Long time no post! I hope not too many gave up on me in my sudden absence. I'm back now, and while it may take me some time to get back into the swing of things, I'm still planning to finish this story and hope to work my way back to weekly updates in time. I also have the next chapter of Tenebris up, just in case anybody missed it.
> 
> I know this chapter may not be the most exciting one to return on, but it gets the ball rolling again! I'm excited to be back and finally get to continue on with these guys.
> 
> -OMaM


	16. News from Knowhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Once upon a time there was a man who gave it all,_   
>  _He had nothing to his name but the wind and the waves at his feet.”_
> 
> -News from Nowhere - Greaeme James

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is for entertainment purposes only. Please enjoy!

**Chapter 16: News from Knowhere**

_**.** _

As Ego had predicted, Peter wasn't all that useful after the great burst of power. A couple of statues later, diminished in size, and more disfigured than even Peter could excuse away as artistic flare, and he had been dismissed.

"Just go eat lunch early or something," Ego had told him with a look of tired disgust. "We will continue this once you are recovered enough."

Despite his bone-deep exhaustion, Peter couldn't help but feel enlivened by what he had accomplished. Even as he wandered back down the winding path to the main court, Peter was playing with a ball of Light between his palms. It was uncannily heavy in his hands, and slow to respond to his commands. Or maybe he was slow to give them.

"Are you going to tell me what that was about?"

Peter gave a yelp and the Light in his hands responded with a brief flare, but he managed to keep it under control as Nebula sidled up next to him on the trail. Her hands were clasped loosely behind her back as she stared at him from the corned of her eye.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, releasing the energy in his hands which was quick to flicker away.

"I came to see what happened. And what that mountain is doing there all of a sudden."

"Mountain?" Peter paused to look back at the towering stone still visible above the trees even from here and felt a small swell of pride. "I don't know about a  _mountain_ , but yeah, I made that. It's pretty impressive, right?"

Nebula rolled her eyes, but for once didn't rebuke his boasting as she continued on down the trail. "Well what do you know," she drawled with just the faintest flicker of a smile teasing her lips, and a new note in her voice he didn't think he'd ever heard before, in this universe or the last one, "you might be useful in the long run after all."

By the time they made it to the main court Peter was positively beaming under the glow of the backhanded but strangely sincere praise.

"You're back early," Drax commented as Peter and Nebula returned to the group. He had been busy polishing his blades at the top of the steps, but lowered them at the pair's approach.

"I am Groot?" Groot asked, scrunching his face at what Peter was sure looked like a rather dopey smile, but try as he might, he just couldn't seem to wipe it away.

As much as Peter wanted desperately to poke some fun at the assassin and make some crude joke about them sharing a bonding moment, it wasn't worth ruining Nebula's good mood so instead he gave the most lackadaisical shrug he could muster and said, "Oh nothing, I'm just excited about my powers coming along. How does an early lunch sound?"

-x-

From there the day ran with an air of predictability. Ego returned to set him back to work shortly after Peter had finished a light brunch and short nap in the sun, and they returned to their usual work. The towering stones had been cleared away and there was no mention of Peter's sudden burst of power from earlier.

They broke again briefly to answer a hail from the Nova Corps, though this time Ego pulled up a screen from the center of the court rather than have them return to the main cathedral, and insisted that it was Peter's turn to open the hail. Interacting with the planet was a strange sensation, one separate from the creation he had been doing thus far, but he managed, with enough proper instruction, to open the hailing frequency and see Dey's smile wink to life on the screen.

The Nova Corpsmen had nothing much to report; Marlowe had found a few leads which had lead to nothing, and the crew of the Starburst was still divided on how to deal with the Guardians, but he offered a few bright compliments when Peter displayed some of his newfound abilities.

When the training wound to an end for the day Peter returned to the court to find that Mantis and Gamora were once more working on blocks and dodges. It looked like Mantis was gaining some confidence in her movements, and Peter found himself settling down to watch them train in silence rather than immediately calling on Eternity. Five days left. This strange little bubble of peace would be shattered soon. One way or another. It couldn't hurt that much to want to spend a few minutes watching Gamora in the courtyard below. In the setting sun, with the stones shimmering gold, and a faint sheen of sweat on her brow, she almost looked like she was dancing as she traded soft parries and blows with her partner.

All too soon, it was time for dinner.

"Are you going to be calling on eternity again tonight?" Mantis asked, from her seat across the table. Her eyes were trained with obviously forced nonchalance on her food.

Nebula hadn't been at the court when Peter returned, and she wasn't at dinner now. Her usual seat across from him was empty, and Peter was using it now to prop his feet up while he ate.

"I probably should," Peter answered after he'd swallowed his bite of food. "It really takes a lot out of me though, and I'd like to stay up and try to see Rocket again tonight. Maybe I'll just try to talk to Eternity later. After I've seen Rocket." Or after he'd given up waiting. Whatever came first. He was hopeful the raccoon would make an appearance, though.

"Oh," Mantis sighed, seeming to deflate slightly.

"Why don't you stay up with me?" Peter asked. He doubted Mantis had an actual bedtime that she had to adhere to.

"Really?!" The empath immediately perked up. "I would love to!"

From her spot at the end of the table, Gamora cleared her throat loudly.

"You should be resting," she said. "You are training right now."

Again Mantis shrunk back down into her seat. "Of course, Gamora. You are correct."

"Oh come on," Peter tried, giving Gamora his most beguiling smile. "I'm sure staying up a little late won't hurt anything. She's an adult. She'll be fine." Gamora was probably not going to forget his undermining her anytime soon, but Mantis looked so crushed at the flat refusal that he couldn't help but try. "Besides, if you're worried, maybe you could join us?" All the powers of the universe combined couldn't have stopped his eyebrow from raising into a suggestive arc as he made the offer. It was really more of an automatic habit than an intentional quirk at this point in his life.

Gamora's response was as predictable as it was disappointing.

"No."

"You sure? I can make fire now, and we can find something to roast over it in the storeroom. It'll be like a sleepover!"

Gamora's nose wrinkled as her face formed into a dangerous sort of frown. "What could possibly make you think I want to sleep with you."

"No, that's not what I-!" Peter's voice broke into a squeak and he paused to cough into his hand and recollect himself. "That's not what a sleepover is. It's an Earth thing. It's just... friends... hanging out... at night..." He trailed off miserably, a blush burning against his cheeks. The rest of the table was staring at him blankly and he finished, "...I mean... there's not even much sleeping going on."

Gamora scoffed and rolled her eyes, collecting her plates and leaving the table.

"Not like that! I didn't mean anything! I wasn't trying to..." Peter gave up and threw his face into his hands. "Yeah, I'll just see you in the morning."

Across the table Drax was chuckling into his own plate of food and not even pretending to be subtle about it.

-x-

"So what is your friend, Rocket like?" Mantis asked as she tucked her legs neatly underneath herself on the steps. She'd brought a pair of soft cushions out with her to provide them some relief from the stone. Peter had his bundled under his head while he watched the stars above.

"Grumpy?" Peter hazarded. "But not usually  _this_ grumpy, and deep down he's kinda a softy once you get to know him."

"He looks quite soft on the outside, too," Mantis sighed. When Peter glanced over, she was staring up at the stars, too. "I think I would very much like to pet him."

Peter let out a soft chuckle. "I wouldn't recommend it. Even in my universe he almost bit your hand off for trying that. Trust me, it's not a fun experience." He waved his left hand, the pale flesh still healing over the tooth-marks from Rocket's drug-withdrawl fueled assault flashed bright under the starlight.

"He bit you!?" Mantis seemed alarmed.

"Ah, yeah, but he didn't really mean it, I think. He was pretty out of his mind at the time." Peter rubbed at his healing hand as he spoke. The brace had been removed as soon as he was done training, and the thin scars from Rocket's teeth felt strange under his fingers. "I guess Thanos uses some sort of drug to control his people sometimes. And coming off of it gets pretty nasty."

"This Thanos, he is a terrible person, yes? He has destroyed may planets, and taken many lives?"

"Yeah, he's pretty terrible."

"And you are going to stop him?"

"That's the plan."

"Good." Mantis nodded her head, a sharp gesture that made the star shine on her hair ripple. "I will be glad to help you. I would like to make it so that he cannot make others suffer anymore. So he cannot destroy people's homes or families. Like mine, and Drax's... and even Gamora's."

Peter turned his head, unable to suppress a look of surprise.

"Drax told me," Mantis confessed in a whisper. "He has told me many stories of his own world and his time on Sakaar, and even many of the amazing things he has done since meeting you and Nebula."

"Oh." That made a lot of sense. The group had a lot of time to kill while he was busy with Ego, after all. "You do know that you don't have to come, right?"

"What?"

"I wanted to free you from Ego, but no matter what he sais, I don't own you or anything. You don't  _have_  to go with us if you don't want to. I just want to make sure you know that." Maybe he was being a bit over dramatic about the topic, and he hoped she didn't think he was trying to disuade her from joining them again, but Ego's attitude about her was really getting on his nerves, and Rocket's whole situation may have already set him on edge.

Mantis just turned her bright smile from the stars down to Peter. "I am sure. I would like to help. Perhaps I will even earn some scars like you have."

Another laugh escaped before he could stop it. "Not if I can help it. It's a pretty rough life out there as a Guardian of the  _Entire_  Universe, though, so who knows."

This thought seemed to please her, and she turned back to the stars, her eyes shimmering bright with excitement as though already imagining what kind of adventures were waiting out there this time.

"Could you tell me some stories about your universe?"

Peter did, quite happy to lose himself in memories of his old team. Memories growing more startlingly distant with each passing cycle. Mantis listened with earnest, silent except for the occasional gasp or exclamation.

At some point he drifted off to sleep, and awoke to a sharp pain in his side.

"Ow!" he gasped, rolling away and clutching at his side as something struck him again. "What the-?"

Nebula loomed above him in the darkness, the edges of her enhancements glinting in the star light as his eyes re-adjusted to the night. She drew her leg back for another blow and Peter rolled away again to avoid her. "Stop kicking me! What the hell!?"

"How an idiot like you survived so long on your own is beyond me."

"Well now you're just hurting me on the inside, too," Peter told her, moving one hand from his ribs to clutch at his heart instead. She rolled her eyes, the gesture nearly invisible in the night, but stepped back so he could sit up and stretch the kink from his spine. Maybe they should have brought more cushions out. "Where's Mantis?" he asked, glancing around.

" _Leaving_. And you are too. As ridiculous as it is, our lives all depend on you right now, and, somehow, you seem to keep forgetting this. Go back to your room and get some real rest."

"I was waiting up to talk to Rocket. Then I'll go to bed."

"You're too late."

"What?"

"He came and went," she told him. "You slept right through it."

"No!" Peter leaped to his feet, suddenly alarmed, and whipped his head around as though he might catch Rocket still.

"Bed," Nebula snapped, stepping in towards him before he could decide which direction to go. "NOW."

"I need to talk with Rocket," Peter snapped right back, losing his patience with her badgering.

"I'm sure it can wait-"

"It's  _important!"_

Peter swept his hands out in irritation, and sparks of Light danced across his finger-tips, surprising even him. Nebula stiffened, her hands curled into fists and her weight rocking subtly as though preparing for a blow. The sight of her reaction, and the ghostly memory of the smell of burnt flesh in the engine room, was enough to sober him, and he quickly dropped his hands back down to his side.

"I'm sorry." Peter rubbed at his hands nervously. The Light had come so easily, unconsciously, even. He needed to be more careful with it. He'd hurt her once in his anger, and the thought of doing that again was enough to shame him into a temporary defeat. "I didn't mean to do that- didn't even know I could. It's just- Please Nebula, it's  _really_  important to me."

"Get some sleep," she repeated, uncurling her fists, but a tenseness remained that made it clear he was not forgiven, and she kept his hands in the corner of her eye. "Some  _proper rest_ , and tomorrow, if you are not too worn out, I'll take you across the canyon."

"Really?!" The offer was more than he expected, and he found himself half-expecting her to snatch it right back. "You promise."

"Sure," she drawled through her teeth. "I promise. If you keep your end of the deal. And I can only show you the path across. I can't promise he'll be there."

"I get it." Peter stooped to snatch the cushion from the ground and brush the dust off before tucking it under his arm. "Thank you, though. I appreciate it. I'll go... get some rest now."

It was probably only about midnight or so, so he had a good number of hours left, and the thought of collapsing onto his mattress wasn't all that bad, now that he had a plan in mind. By the time he reached the edge of the court, however, it became apparent he was going alone and he paused to look back at Nebula who hadn't moved.

"Aren't you coming?" he asked.

"In a bit."

"You can walk with me," Peter laughed. "I promise, I won't tell anyone. You're reputation as a lone badass is safe with me."

Nebula gave her eyes another roll and turned to walk towards the still dimly-lit dining room instead. " _Goodnight_ Peter."

"Suit yourself," he shrugged, walking backwards down the path to their rooms for a few steps, "but I'll have you know I am an excellent late night stroll companion, and a perfect gentlemen."

As he turned away from the court her voice drifted back to him through the darkness.

"You have already proven to be neither of those things."

-x-

The next day breezed by in a haze of creation. Ego finally let Peter move on to fire, officially, and by lunch he was learning to both shoot it from his hand in a small but effective stream and to condense it and send electricity prickling up and down his arms. Briefly Peter wished there was someone around who he could taze with this newfound gift, but settled for practicing on some nearby rocks and trees. The time for that would probably come sooner than he'd like, anyways.

In his call from the Nova Corps, Dey let slip that they may have found a more promising lead which Cosmo was chasing down on Knowhere. The Denerian was careful to impress that it was still a wild shot at best, but all Peter heard was hope, and he practically danced his way through the remainder of the day's training. He even had energy to help out with Mantis's lessons, a simple, slow-paced spar that didn't take much of anything from him, and left him with plenty to spare by the time Nebula made an appearance.

"Ready to go?" Peter asked, tossing his staff aside and abandoning the sparring circle to jog up the steps towards the blue assassin.

"We'll get some food first," Nebula said, walking straight past him.

"Food?' Peter asked as he trotted to catch up to her. He'd already eaten earlier, in anticipation of the trip.

"You're pretty useless to him without it."

"Oh. Right."

A pair of bowls were filled with food that traveled well and tied together with some bandages from a small medical kit Mantis had showed them, then strung over his back. Archaic, but effective, and this way he could carry it without the loss of either one of his hands. The sun was still in the sky, not quite touching the horizon, when they reached the edge of the canyon and Peter was sizing up the jump down in his head. Nebula was already half-way down the cliff face, making short work of the jagged wall with jumps that he was sure no normal person could make without breaking a leg. He waited until she was nearly at the bottom and then took a small running start, leaping from the edge with a small whoop.

Despite their early start, and the path Nebula took him down which was, as promised, surprisingly fast, the sun was still sunk below the horizon by the time they made it to the far wall.

"Do you want me to wait for you?" Peter asked, as he craned his neck up to judge the leap he would need to get up to the top.

"Do what you want," Nebula told him, finding a handhold among the stone and beginning to make her way back up the cliff. The wall here looked like it had suffered a few rock-slides along the centuries, creating a sort of slanted path and providing a relatively easy climb up. Peter was pretty sure even he could manage it safely. She wouldn't be long, and really didn't need him hovering over her shoulder.

After a brief moment's consideration, Peter decided not to wait. The longer they took, the longer Rocket had to hear them coming and decide to leave, if he hadn't already.

As his boots touched down on the grass at the top, he gave out a low whistle at the sight of what had become of Ego's shuttle.

Nebula wasn't kidding when she had called it rubble. The whole thing had been ripped apart, and it lay in pieces scattered across the landing pad and adjoining field. Several larger hunks loomed out of the grass here and there where it appeared Rocket had tried to construct something new from the savaged pod, but they all lay abandoned.

"Hey Rocket?" Peter called out into the growing darkness, picking his way through the debri and working towards the tree line. "I just wanted to talk to you again. I brought food!"

He held up the bowls of food, still tied neatly together, so they could be seen if Rocket was watching him from the trees. "I mean, it's no Eiyrian Frosted Sunash, but it's still pretty okay."

There was a rustling from somewhere nearby as Peter reached the edge of the field and he froze.

"What the flark is Sunash?" Again, the gravelliness of Rocket's voice caught Peter somewhat off-guard. It was something that was going to take some getting used to.

"What?! No! It's your favorite!" Peter exclaimed. "It's like a weird little pastry thing with these awesome sprinkles that pop in your mouth when you eat them. You made us fly half-way across the galaxies just to get a box of them. You ate like, all of them. Which was a dick move, because we agreed to share them but- not the point."

A flash of red caught Peter's eyes as Rocket suddenly melted from the undergrowth off to the side, just one shadow separating from the others in the twilight. "Never heard of it."

"That can't be right!" Peter didn't dare take a step closer, so he just continued to shout from where he was. "As soon as we get the Milano back, we're all going out for some. I'm sure I can find my way back-"

" _I don't care_." The raccoon cut him off harshly. "I'm not interested in running snack errands with you, Stalker-lord-"

"It's Star-lord."

"-or any of your Sentinels of Shit-"

"Guardians of the Galaxy."

" _Whatever_. You're not going to bribe my favor with that dehydrated crap, so just go back the way you came and leave me alone."

"This isn't a bribe," Peter sniffed. "It's a thanks."

The glowing red eyes narrowed into thin slits.

"For the advise you gave me about Gamora's parents," he explained. "They've already found a lead, and Cosmo is chasing it down as we speak. Couldn't have done it without you."

Rocket snorted. "You got that right at least." The arrogance was so much better than the side-winding hate that Peter had been met with so far that it tugged his lips into an even wider, and much more genuine smile.

"So, thanks. We don't have much here, but I brought dinner, hand-delivered, and the promise of Sunash at the first opportunity."

Rocket gave no answer, but as Peter's eye adjusted to the dark, he could make out the ringed tail twitching thoughtfully behind him. A familiar habit of his own Rocket's which gave Peter the feeling he was making progress finally.

"Look, it's fine, if you don't want to come get it then how about I just toss it to you?" Peter asked, testing the weight in his hand and calculating the overhand throw he'd need.

"Don't you-!"

But Peter was already lobbing it into the space between them. "Here it comes!"

The mess of bowls traveled true and Rocket caught it stiffly between his fingers, the hair visible beneath the suite seemed to poof out. His face drew into a grimace and he froze for a beat, as though he expected the thing to blow up in his hands. When it did nothing more than what would be expected of a hastily strapped together pair of bowls containing travel food, he unwound slightly and fixed Peter with a glare that was dirtier than ever.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" He snarled, taking a threatening step forward and pulling the ball back like he intended to chuck it right back at Peter's head, then just as suddenly as he had moved, he froze.

The soft crunch of grass in the resulting silence brought Peter's attention to his side where Nebula had finally joined him and was returning the Raccoon's gaze with a hard look of her own.

The two liberated war criminals held each other's gaze for a long beat, but Rocket was the first to relent, his fur laying back down as he took a step backwards, lowering the bowls of food from their threatening position.

"Just, leave me alone, will you." His tail twitched one more time and then he vanished back into the forest, his footsteps fading almost as soon as he was out of sight.

"Well, I'd say that went even better than expected!" Peter exclaimed happily.

-x-

It was well past midnight when Peter returned to his room, tired and sweaty and smelling of forest, but triumphant.

Nebula had returned with him and continued straight to her room, vanishing into the shadows of the dark hallway before his farewell finished echoing around them.

Alone again, it was tempting to just stretch out on the bed and fall asleep, but he had one more thing to do tonight. After kicking off his boots and changing into a pair of loose pajamas, one of many he had discovered in the dresser drawers of his room, he settled onto his bed with his legs crossed and reached for the Light.

"It's been too long, Peter."

Peter opened his eyes and Rocket was standing on the foot of his bed, stars leaking from his eyes, and frosting the tips of his fur.

"We have so very little time to waste."

"It wasn't wasted," Peter defended. "I've been busy. I'm trying to learn something that took a real Celestial thousands of years to master in a few days, in case you hadn't noticed. And-"

"Nevermind that," Eternity cut him off with toss of Rockets head. "You are already exhausted. We don't have time to dally tonight."

Briefly Peter wondered what Eternity could do if Peter decided to simply sever the link and fall asleep then and there. The thought of more nightmares sprang to mind so he resigned himself to dealing with the strange entity before him. "Alright, what've you got tonight?"

"I have been thinking on your concerns over the forms I take, and believe I have arrived at a compromise that will suit us both from here on. Someone familiar enough to pull the details from your mind with ease, but one that won't be construed with another living vessel."

The first thought to cross his mind made Peter's heart freeze in his chest. If Eternity was going to turn into his mother again- But the shifting form before him settled into a much more familiar visage. Standing his bed where Rocket had been a moment before, so that Peter had to crane his neck uncomfortably to meet the swirling stars of his eyes, was his own reflection staring back.

"Well," Eternity asked, hopping down from the bed with his arms spread out as though asking for an opinion on a new set of clothes, "what do you think?"

Too many things. For a long moment, Peter stared wordlessly into his own possessed eyes and suppressed a dark shudder crawling up his spine.

"It's... fine," he eventually bit out. He'd get used to it. It was better than the alternatives, even if it gave him the creeps in ways he couldn't quite put into words. The way a dark forest or decrepit church might send one's instincts screaming to flee from some impossible fear.

"That's settled then," Eternity moved on, apparently oblivious to Peter's discomfort. "How did you enjoy my gift the other day? Useful, is it not?"

"Useful, yes." The image of the tower of rocks piercing the sky above the court came to mind once more. "But I couldn't really do anything afterwords."

"I'll be more careful next time," Eternity promised. "And you will grow stronger with practice as well. And capable of so much more than a measly outcropping of stone.

"My sister has made no moves in the mean time. Thanos's army continues to gather, but I have yet to discover their intent or target. You must be ready when they do, but for now all you can do is gather strength as well. I will continue watching as best I can through the veil as you continue to learn. The stronger your bond with the Light becomes, the greater my reach into this realm."

The dark feeling returned at the thought of whatever bond was forming between himself and Eternity as well.

Eternity glanced up, as though looking at something far beyond the four little walls they were enclosed in, and then slowly brought his attention back down to Peter. "I will leave you be for now. Rest. And grow stronger."

-x-

The pounding on his door the next morning came so early and so loud that at first he believed he hadn't escaped the nightmares after all until Mantis's voice rang through the wall. "Peter? I apologize for waking you, but the Nova Corps have called and say it is urgent."

Peter rolled over and lifted his head from his pillow to stare blearily at the door. "Whaaat?" he groaned, clawing his way somewhat unwillingly back towards conscious thought.

"They say they have found some news about Gamora's parents and wish to speak to you abou-eek!"

Peter was out of bed, shoving his shoes on and yanking the door open so fast Mantis startled back with a squeak.

"THEY FOUND SOMETHING!?" he cried, hopping on one foot as he tugged his second boot all the way on before bolting for the doorway, grabbing her wrist and tugging her after him as he ran. "Why didn't you say so, let's go!"

He made it to the main cathedral in record time, huffing and gasping like a madman, with Mantis panting at his heels. "I'm here!" he cried.

Ego was standing in the center of the room, his hands clasped behind his back and a screen hanging overhead, displaying Marlowe in a cleaned and pressed uniform, her fingers laced together on the desk in front of herself as she waited patiently for Peter to catch his breath.

"I'm here," Peter repeated, moving to stand before the screen. "What happened? You found them?"

"Not exactly."

Peter's heart skipped a beat. "What? But Mantis said-"

 _We have found very promising news. Something that could solve more than one concern._ Cosmo's golden snout suddenly popped into view as he stood to place his front feet on the desk next to Marlowe. A broad smile covered his face.

"Cosmo!" This was a pleasant surprise. "You look great!"

_Cosmo feels great! And not just because wounds have been healed._

"What did you find?"

_Cosmo has spent much of this time chasing every trail that gave sniff of hope. Most lead to nothing but dead ends, but rumor of a rumor lead Cosmo to The Jubilee, a junker vessel which frequents Knowhere._

_On this vessel is an Agullo with one leg and many, many scars. It seems when Thanos took their homeworld he was enslaved. Before he escaped, or rather, was left for dead by Thanos's army when his ship was destroyed as collateral damage in a battle, he was part of a crew transporting supplies for Thanos's army. Specifically, it seems, he would oversee stock before it was loaded, and manage incoming inventory._

Marlowe tapped one finger against the desk and Cosmo sped along.

 _Forgiveness,_  he panted,  _I say this because it was during these transactions that he would deal with the populace of the planets, other slaves, ones forced into menial jobs and heavy labors, providing things necessary to maintain such a vast warring empire, and it is his belief that he may have once seen these parents of your assassin friend's shortly before he... stumbled upon his freedom._

"Where!?" Peter hardly dared believe it.

Marlowe pulled a Tablet from off-screen, sliding it across the desk until it sat in front of the camera. At her touch, a holo map of an unfamiliar star system burst to life above it.

"It seems he wasn't in a position to have access to most pertinent information, and has a very limited knowledge of the universe, so he could not give us exact coordinates or even a name. From what we can gather with the information he gave us, however, narrowed down by what you gleaned from Experiment 89P13, we believe it would be somewhere in this quadrant. According to our own records, the most likely candidate in this area would be the Planet Villam."

"Villam?" Peter repeated, squinting at the screen and wishing he could zoom in. "Why does that sound so familiar?"

A deep voice rumbled out from behind him. "Likely because that is my home planet."

Peter spun around to find the rest of the Guardians filtering into the room. Drax was looking between Peter and the screen with a mixture of surprise and suspicion. "Oh! Hey guys-"

"What interest do you have in it?" the Destroyer rumbled, squaring his shoulders and crossing his arms over his chest so he could stare down at the others.

"They think that Villam might be where Gamora's parents are being held." While he spoke, Peter tried to catch Gamora's eye, but she was staring straight past him at the screen.

 _Good,_ Cosmo chimed in,  _green assassin friend is here. Cosmo is hoping perhaps this new knowledge may how-you-say jog her memory._

"Villam," she whispered, but Peter couldn't tell if it was familiar to her as well, or she was just feeling it out.

Drax curled a lip up into a sneer, as if the sound of that word from her lips was unpleasant, but all that came from his mouth was a curt; "Manure and dirt. These are the only things you and the rodent could recall. That would make sense. My planet is one rich in land and resources, and my people skilled in tending to it. I do not know what became of it, or those few survivors, after I was sent to the Colosseum."

"Yes," Gamora breathed out, her fingers trembling slightly. "I think, maybe, that could be it."

"Do you remember anything new?" Marlowe pressed, zooming the map in to get a closer view of the planet. "Anything to confirm their whereabouts or prepare us for what else might be there?"

Gamora shook her head miserably.

"We?" Peter asked. He was grateful that Marlowe and Cosmo had put so much work into finding this news, but he hadn't expected them to be going with him. It wasn't bad news by any means, but it was surprising.

"We believe there might be more on that planet than its imprisoned citizens and a couple of Zen Whoberi." While she spoke, Marlowe tugged the tablet closer to herself. "With Cosmo's help, we tried tracing our way back through transport routs that may have brought people to that planet. If it's a recent acquisition, they would have to be transported from whatever their last location was. Instead, we found this." The map winked away and a moment later was replaced with a projection that looked like it had come from a sorely outdated security system. A dozen or so people huddled together in the corner of a small room. Peter couldn't tell if they were on a ship or a planet somewhere, but it was obvious they weren't there by choice. Heavily armed guards, Kree, Peter thought, though the image was of such poor quality he could be mistaken, stood in a ring around them, weapons at the ready.

"Who is that?" Peter asked, wishing again that he could see the image better.

"Xandarians." Marlowe's voice was tight as she stared at the video as though looking at a ghost. "Members of an outpost. We thought they had all been killed when Xandar fell. All the outposts and loyal planets were burned alongside our capitol planet, but if they somehow survived- if they've been imprisoned on a planet this whole time, we can't just leave them there." There were tears shining in her eyes and Peter could hear them in her voice as she whispered, "There could be others there, too."

"We'll get them back." Peter promised without thought.

Marlowe took here eyes on the holo image and back to Peter. The pain vanished as quickly as it had come and she was right back to business. "How is your training coming along? Can you wield the stone yet?"

"No." Ego's voice was absolute. "There is still too much risk."

"There will  _always_  be risk," Marlowe countered. "You wanted an opportunity to prove your worth and earn the crew's goodwill. If ever there was an opportunity to do just that, this is it."

"I could try-"

"NO." Ego cut him off. "Not yet. You need more time."

"Will you do it then!?" Peter snapped.

Ego reared his head back, looking outright offended by the suggestion.

"I've been working myself to exhaustion here. If I haven't made any progress towards using the Stone, then what has all this been for?"

"He has a point Peter." Nebula spoke up. She was staring at him rather unsympathetically as she took his father's side. "If you can't use the stone effectively, then it's best you don't try yet."

Drax surprised Peter by lending his support to Ego and Nebula as well. "I will have to agree as well. I do not wish to see you do harm to my planet or people."

"Okay," Peter sighed in defeat. "No Infinity Stone. We'll just have to do this the old fashioned way."

On the screen, Marlowe looked disappointed, and somewhat dubious. Even Cosmo had closed his mouth, his panting smile lost in favor of a look of deep thought.

"Don't worry." Peter squared his shoulders and put on his best smile. "We'll get everyone out of there. The Xandarians, Gamora's parents, Drax's people, and anyone else they're holding. We'll save them all. I promise."

**End**

.

 **Chapter 17 Preview:**  "... _Will I need a weapon?" Nebula asked as she matched stride with the Celestial._

 _"I will provide one," Ego told her, and suddenly Peter was a little nervous about what he was getting into here_..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to get my butt in gear about regular updates. I'm also very rusty, so I'm sorry if the writing is a bit rough in a couple places, but I gotta get it moving along somehow! I've been distracted by IRL stuff, drawing, and just recently started learning to animate stuff. I miiiight even have a Astro-related animation project soon~
> 
> Hope you enjoy the new chapter! We should be rolling along to the next arc soon and finally get some good Rocket screen time and development.
> 
> Thanks and love!
> 
> -OMaM


	17. The Queen of Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
> _"Oh the Queen of Peace, always does her best to please._  
> 
> 
>  
> 
> _Is it any use? Somebody's got to lose."_  
> 
> 
> -Florence + the Machine 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Queen of Peace is from Florence + the Machine  
> GotG belongs to Marvel

**Chapter 17: The Queen of Peace**

Peter was so elated in the morning's newfound news he nearly forgot all about breakfast. He was so excited to get to work that he had to be all but dragged back to the greenhouse room and shoved into his chair before he was allowed to begin training. There he shoveled an entire plateful of food down so fast he didn't even taste it.

Marlowe and Cosmo had informed Peter that they would need more time to speak to Saal and the council about their options before any moves were made. They wanted to be cautious, and Peter found he couldn't blame them. For now, the Guardians would stay remanded to the planet, but Peter intended to use the remaining time as effectively as he could.

Ego surprised Peter by waiting for him in the courtyard outside the dining room.

"We're going to do something a little differently today," Ego told him. "We'll need a second body." His gaze swept across the gathered Guardians, settling on Nebula who was standing off to the side. "You. Blue one. Why don't you join us in the court today?"

Peter glanced back at Nebula, half-expecting her to laugh at being ordered around and refuse. Instead, she shrugged her shoulders and agreed with a disinterested "Sure."

Ego nodded and turned to make his way down the path to the seafoam court. Nebula broke from the group and followed after, leaving Peter scrambling to catch up.

"Will I need a weapon?" Nebula asked as she matched stride with the Celestial.

"I will provide one," Ego told her, and suddenly Peter was a little nervous about what he was getting into here.

In the court, Ego paused to address Peter.

"I think, if you're going to insist on following through with this stupidity, that it would suit you to know how to wield the Light in a more... aggressive fashion than the creation we have done so far. This is much earlier than I had hoped, but you will just have to make do. Focus on drawing and shaping the Light faster." Here he considered Nebula for a moment before holding his hand out, in it formed something that strongly resembled a broadsword, but its edges were terribly blunt, even from Peter's point of view. The whole thing appeared bulky and heavy and small designs that matched Ego's clothes decorated the blade and handle. "Try not to do anything permanent," he sighed as he handed it over.

"You're not going to give her a shield or something?" Peter asked as Ego turned to leave.

"Do you really think I'll need one?" Nebula asked offhandedly as she tested the weight of Ego's sword, not looking the least bit concerned for her own safety.

Peter glanced down at his hands. His powers were still pretty unpredictable. "Well, I mean, I don't want to hurt you."

Nebula's lips pulled into a smirk and she gave her new weapon a meaningful swirl.

"And I  _really_  don't want you to hurt me," he finished.

The assassin darted forward and the next thing he knew he was staring up at the sky, his shin bone ringing from where she had swept his legs out from underneath him.

"Then I suggest you stop worrying and start paying attention."

She stepped aside and allowed Peter to pull himself up and dust himself off.

"What's your strongest element?" she asked, a wicked glint to her eyes as she began circling him. "We'll start there."

Stone was probably the easiest for him right now, but he wasn't sure how exactly to weaponize it at this stage. Lightning or fire would probably work better. As he raised his hands up to begin summoning the Light, Nebula stepped in close and cracked the blunt blade across his shoulder, knocking him back.

"Ouch! What was that for?" he demanded, rubbing at the stinging spot on his shoulder.

"It's too obvious what you're doing." Her lips were pulled into a disapproving frown. "You're never going to get anything done like that."

Peter wrinkled his nose at her. "It's how I summon the Light," he told her, raising his hands back up and stepping quickly backwards out of her reach.

"It's cumbersome and unnecessary," she answered, darting forward again and striking his wrist this time. The Light he had gathered fizzled back out.

"Stop it!" he snapped, shaking his hands and dodging away from her again, trying to buy enough time to summon the energy her needed to form any sort of elemental help. "Aren't you supposed to be helping me practice using the Light 'more aggressively'?"

"I am," Nebula wasn't even breaking a sweat as she kept up with Peter's dodges, snapping the blunt sword against his arms and wrists every time he tried to pull out the Light. "But any tricks you manage to pull of with this new power of yours are worthless if you're dead before you can use them. Do it without that stupid ritual."

"I need the 'stupid ritual.' That's how it's done."

"No you don't. Ego doesn't do it." She paused in her assault long enough to wave a hand at his father who was standing off to the side, watching their exchange silently. "And you summoned the Light without it when we were arguing about Rocket the other night."

"Oh yeah..." Peter had forgotten about that. How had he done that? He held up his hands to stare at his open palms again as though they might provide an answer. He tried to remember what it had felt like but it had happened so quickly, and hadn't even realized that it was happening at first.

"I don't remember how I did that..." he murmured.

"Then you'd better figure it out." Nebula returned to her assault with a greater energy, swinging the blade for his shoulder so quickly he could hear it ' _swush_ ' through the air as he barely managed to dodge in time.

"Hey! Ouch!" Every strike he managed to avoid was followed by a handful that struck true. While he hurriedly back peddled about the court, his arms were kept too busy protecting his face and body for him to gather any Light. "Stop it! This isn't helping!"

"If you want it to stop, then stop me." Nebula made it sound so easy as she battered him and drove him across the courtyard.

The weapon struck him in the hip and he tripped over his own feet, sprawling back on the hard stone once more and scrambling desperately back up. The blows weren't actually that hard, Nebula was obviously holding back, intending to keep him off-balance, not hurt him, but they were relentless and stung where they connected against his joints.

"I mean it, Nebula!" Between blows, he snatched at the Light. Once or twice he thought he felt the hum of energy gathering in his veins, but it always flickered out as soon as she struck him again. She had driven him nearly a complete lap around the court. Without a weapon or shield of his own to so much as buffer the blows, and the Light's blatant refusal to come to his call, his frustration was rising.

Nebula darted around him and swung the sword in a backhanded arc, aiming a brutal looking swing down on his shoulder blade. Peter felt a flare of panic and tried desperately to twist around and throw his hands up in time. "I said  **STOP**!" There was a burst of light and the air crackled around him, and suddenly the relentless blows ended.

Slowly, Peter cracked an eye back open, worried that he might have overdone it.

Instead, Nebula was standing just off to the side, leaning easily on Ego's sword and a smug quirk to her lips.

"Well that was... something."

"You're enjoying this way too much," Peter grumbled, wiping his hands on his pants in an attempt to rid them of a weird buzzing feeling that was crawling through his veins.

She just sighed and let her bored gaze wander around the court. "Enjoyment may be a bit too strong of a word," she mumbled.

Peter let out a scoff, and she hefted the sword back up. "But it  _is_ nice to stretch my muscles, even if I've fought against Orlani that were tougher than you."

"Hey-!"

His shout was cut off as she rushed him again.

-x-

"Uncle!" Peter gasped out as he flopped backwards spreading his arms out onto the cool marble beneath him. "I call uncle! Just-Just give me a second. I need a break."

A shadow passed over him as Nebula loomed above, blocking out the sun while she frowned down at him. "You still can't summon your Light quickly enough," she told him. "Get back on your feet."

"I just need a minute," he panted out, watching little spots dance across his vision and wishing for something cold to drink. "I'm getting better. I almost had it right off the bat last time. I'm sure if I rest I can get it."

"It's not even mid-morning," Nebula told him, kicking him sharply in the leg. "Up."

"That's enough for now," Ego interrupted, and Peter was never so glad for his meddling. "Go ahead and take a break."

The assassin turned her frown on Ego, but she stepped back with no further argument.

"Oh thank god!" Peter heaved his sore body up into a sit. "I need some water before I pass out."

He could hear Nebula's derisive snort even over his own panting.

"Fine." A sharp crack made Peter jump, and he looked up to find she had driven the dull sword into the marble. "Take your break." She released the sword, which remained standing on its own, and turned to Ego. "Will you be needing me again later?"

"Yes. Someone at least. It doesn't matter much who, I suppose."

She nodded and turned to leave.

"Ah!" Peter struggled to surge to his feet. "Wait for me!" His legs trembled underneath him, but held his weight. "I'll need someone to drag me back if I collapse on the way."

The assassin pursed her lips into another frown, but she waited for him to catch up before continuing on.

"Thanks."

"You're pathetic."

"No, I'm awesome. And I know you like me, or you wouldn't be willing to drag me back."

"I never said I'd do anything like that," she protested, then, a little quieter she muttered, "Maybe I hit your head too many times."

"You could have at least been softer," he confessed.

Again she snorted.

-x-

Peter managed to stumble his way back to the greenhouse, where he went straight to the sink in the storage room and chugged about four glasses of water before shoving his whole head under the tap.

"Ah, that feels much better," he sighed, slicking his wet hair back as he wandered his way back out to collapse on the top of the stairs. From here he could watch Mantis's training in the court below while he caught his breath.

Nebula was already sitting on the stairs, close to where he had chosen to collapse. Drax was standing on the steps some ways below so that they were more or less matched in height. They were probably discussing what had occurred in the court. Upon Peter's return, she rose and turned towards the nearby forests. "I'll return when you're ready to get back to work," she promised.

"Okay," Peter mumbled into his arms which were pillowed under his head. "Thanks for seeing me back."

Her footsteps were already fading away. "Whatever."

In the court below, Groot was standing in the center, his long limbs held up to swat lazily at Mantis, who was practicing stepping in and retreating under Gamora's careful eye. From his position atop the stairs, Peter watched Gamora's face as she schooled Mantis's steps and adjusted her timing, and tried to ignore the churning in his guts.

The longer he spent in this twisted universe, the more real it began to feel, and the more muddled his excitement over abandoning it entirely became. The timeline needed to be righted, he was sure of that, and there was no doubt in his mind or heart that Thanos needed to be defeated before any of the Universe, especially his loved ones, could be safe again, but things were becoming drastically less black and white with each new discovery he made. Here, the Nova Corps had burned, entire swaths of the universe with it, and the Guardians had individually suffered even more under Thanos's hands than before. It was bad. But also here, Yondu was alive, and all the Ravagers that had made up his family for all these years in space, and Gamora's parents as well, by all accounts so far. Even Saal was a dead man walking again. How could he just condemn them all back to death. How could he condemn Gamora back to a universe without her parents when he knew how much they meant to her?

These thoughts had been simmering in the back of his mind for some time, but now threatened to boil forth. He shoved them back as he had many times before, having no satisfying answer he could give them, and tried to distract himself with thoughts of what Gamora's parents might be like once they'd rescued them. He'd never met them, of course, beyond the glimpse he'd caught in her shattered mind, and his own Gamora claimed to only have the faintest of memories the one time Peter had dared to ask, drunk and hurting after the recent loss of his own father of sorts.

The sun was warm on his back and he drifted to sleep with thoughts of how Gamora might finally smile again once they found her parents, and rescued them. He dreamed of returning to his universe, to his own Gamora, with the news that her family had been saved, her parents in tow behind him, and Yondu with them. In his dreams he thought he saw Nebula as well, this Nebula, the one who his brain was bold enough to call 'his Nebula' when all others claiming that title belonged to the other timeline. She stood among the rest of the Guardians like she had always been there.

Some time later, not too much, according to the ache in his muscles, he was being gently shaken awake.

"Peter," Mantis's soft voice called out to him. "It is time to wake up. Ego wishes to return to work."

Peter blinked his eyes open and stared up at her blearily. "So soon?" As his vision cleared, he caught sight of Gamora, standing at the foot of the steps, probably waiting for Mantis to finish waking him so they could return to work as well. "Alright, I'm getting up. Thanks."

He rose and gave a languid stretch. "Have you seen Nebula? She said she'd come back when it was time head back to the court."

"I believe she is already there waiting for you."

It turned out Nebula was, in fact, already in the court. When Peter found her, she was in possession of the dull sword again and appeared to be in some sort of conversation with Ego. The Celestial was holding one hand out, a ball of Light rolling elegantly between various elements in his palm as she stared at it intently. As Peter drew near, however, the Light vanished and they fell silent.

"Okay, so... round two?" he asked, as he clapped his hands together, trying to shake some life into his perpetually sore muscles. He was going to be so ripped by the time he got home.

Nebula moved to meet him in the middle of the open court, but rather than attack like before she took up a defensive stance and waited. "I'll let you go first this time," she promised.

-x-

"Okay, okay, are you ready? Stand back, I don't want to hurt anyone!" Peter glanced over his shoulder to make sure the other Guardians were a safe distance behind him. After a very late lunch, -more of an early dinner, really- delayed by the second session with Nebula dragging on until Peter could not only summon the Light without gathering it for an inordinate amount of time first, but could do it reliably, he was eager to show off his new skill.

Satisfied that everyone had done as asked, he turned back to the fountain. The metal fish swirled in lazy rings above the water, and that's where he decided to aim, raising his hands up and shaping them into finger guns. There was a crackling hum running down his arms, and a moment later an arc of electricity burst from his fingertips. The metal where it struck lit up and the water spilling around it fizzled and steamed. Peter pulled his hands back, tipping one hand up to blow at his fingers as though they were a smoking gun.

"Wonderful!" Mantis was clapping frantically. A bright smile lit up her face as she bounced on her toes.

"I am Groot!" Beside her, Groot raised one arm to give Peter a thumbs up, a gesture he had already re-learned from his human companion.

The other Guardians were less vocal in their response, but Drax had an approving smile settled on his lips, and even Gamora was looking between him and the fountain with a renewed interest.

"You have made such marvelous improvements, Peter!" Mantis told him, making a blush rise to his face as he reveled in her unabashed praise.

"Thanks." Peter rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling a little undeserving of so much enthusiasm. "Nebula helped a lot."

"Yes, she must be a wonderful teacher," Mantis said shyly, glancing at the blue assassin as though worried she might somehow offend her. They hadn't really interacted much beyond their first terrible conversation, and the Empath remained largely scared of the younger sister.

At Mantis's praise, Nebula straightened up a little and shot her sister a smug sideways look.

"Perhaps you could help teach me some time as well?" Mantis's voice had grown quieter still as she ventured the offer, like she half-expected to press her luck too far at any moment, but her eyes were bright and hopeful.

Nebula opened her mouth to say something, but Gamora overrode her answer.

"Maybe later. You need to finish learning the basics first."

As quickly as it had come, Nebula's smile vanished, replaced with a dark frown. "What's the matter? Afraid I might put a scratch on your precious new student?" She looked past Gamora and met Mantis's eyes. "I'll spar with you."

"I said she's not ready," Gamora insisted, stepping in front of Mantis.

"Well, why not? It's been  _days._ She should be more than ready by now, but you've been  _babying_  her!" Nebula spat out. " _You're_  the one that wanted to teach her something in the first place, so she could stand a chance in a real battle. She's about to be, from the sounds of it, so shouldn't we test her skills here, first?"

"We're being careful."

"That's not really your style," Nebula hissed, and Gamora looked for a moment as though she'd been slapped. In her moment of stunned silence, Nebula reached forward and snatched the diamond and wooden staff from her hand and turned to the open part of the court, motioning for Mantis to join her. "Why don't we find out if this new 'careful' Gamora is worth anything?"

Mantis glanced nervously between the sisters, but picked up her own staff and stepped forward to meet Nebula in the center of the court, away from the other Guardians.

"Nebula." Gamora's voice was dark with warning as she watched the two square up.

"Relax, sister," Nebula called back. "I'm not going to throw her over the cliff or anything."

Again Gamora looked like she'd been struck by her sister's words, her lips pressed into a thin, pale line and she fell silent.

The ominous promise didn't really make Peter feel any better, and he found himself suddenly worried he was going to be diving over the cliff edge to catch someone. He really didn't think Nebula would do that to Mantis, but whenever the sisters interacted there was always a subtle threat of violence lurking just under the surface.

Nebula allowed Mantis enough time to settle into her own defensive stance and then stepped forward, staff swinging in a fearsome arc. From his experience with the younger assassin Peter could easily tell that she was, in fact, taking it easy against her current opponent. As easy as he had ever see her be, at least. Mantis even managed to meet the first several blows, though they still left her stumbling back from the sheer force behind them. An underhanded strike caught the empath straight in the ribs and she let out a yelp of pain, redoubling her efforts to block the strikes before they could make contact and stepping back just a little faster as Nebula pressed her back.

Within moments it became apparent that Mantis was terribly outclassed, even with Nebula aiming the worst of her assault at her opponent's weapon rather than her body. Her frantic efforts to match Nebula's blows began to fail more often than not and a panic was slowly taking over her face.

"Nebula, stop this!" Gamora demanded from her spot on the sidelines.

A sweeping blow knocked Mantis' legs out from underneath her and she landed hard against the stone beneath. Peter winced in sympathy. It was the same move she had used on him several times today already.

"Do you want to stop?" Nebula asked, pulling her staff away and holding one hand out. Mantis took it and Nebula yanked her back to her feet.

"No," Mantis panted, sounding uncertain as she readjusted her own staff and found her balance again. She appeared to be favoring her left leg now. "I am alright. I can continue."

"Good," Nebula tossed a victorious look at her sister and returned to their spar.

"That's enough Nebula!" Gamora stepped into the circle. "I said stop!"

"It is- alright," Mantis panted out between strikes that knocked the breath from her.

Another blow glanced off her emerald staff and cut down onto her shoulder, eliciting a gasp of pain.

"Stop this before you really hurt her!" Gamora lunged forward, grabbing the diamond staff.

"So what if I do!?" Nebula shouted, twisting around to face her sister and trying to yank the weapon back. "That's how she'll learn!"

"It's not right!"

"You never had a problem with it before!" Nebula raised a leg and kicked Gamora in the gut, ripping the staff from her sister's hands as Gamora doubled over. Mantis gave a squeak as Nebula returned to their spar, barely giving her enough time to bring her own weapon up to block the next blow. Nebula hardly got a second strike in, however, before Gamora drove her shoulder into her sister's back, swinging a leg under to hook Nebula's ankle and send the blue assassin stumbling forward.

This time Gamora managed to successfully grapple the diamond staff from her unbalanced sister's hands. There was another gasp from Mantis when the Blue assassin lost her balance completely and crashed into her.

"I said stop." Gamora held the staff away from her sister. "This isn't accomplishing anything."

Nebula gave a low growl of frustration, yanking the emerald staff rather viciously from Mantis's hands as she untangled herself from the empath and leaped back up. "Why are you being so soft on her!?" she demanded.

Gamora opened her mouth, but after a moment closed it again, her eyes flickering from anger to something pained. When it became apparent she wasn't going get an answer, Nebula gave another snarl and swung her staff at Gamora this time. "Just tell me!"

The sound of their staffs cracking together echoed through the court and over the canyon as the sisters lost themselves in a violent spar. All the anger that Nebula had been holding on to these last few days had finally found a way out. Her blows were nothing like the animalistic rage that had taken over her in the Milano's engine room, but they were serious. She was clearly not holding back anymore, now that Mantis wasn't her target. Gamora refused to be cowed, however, and pushed back against her sister's onslaught.

"Hey!" Peter shouted and waved his arms, trying to catch one of the sister's attention.

Mantis, still struggling to find her feet when the sister's fell into battle, was quickly caught up in the storm of their rage. Nebula's staff caught her a couple times in the back swing and Mantis gave up trying to flee and instead dropped to the ground, covering her head. "Please stop!" she begged, but her voice was lost in the chaos.

"Guys, hey!" Peter stepped in, circling the furious sisters and trying to find a way in beyond the whirling weapons.

A hard shove sent Nebula stumbling back again where she tripped over Mantis, still huddling on the ground, practically trampling the terrified girl in her efforts to keep her feet and return her sister's next blow as Gamora stepped in after her.

Suddenly Mantis found herself trapped between the two warring sisters, a terribly dangerous place to be. "PEACE!" she cried, reaching up and grabbing them both by the wrist as her antenna glowed a brilliant white. The effect was immediate. Nebula jerked back as though she'd been burned, ripping her arm from the empath's grip and retreating across the court, staring back at her in wild-eyed disgust. Gamora froze in her tracks entirely, her own staff clattering to the ground as it dropped from her hand.

Panting and trembling, Mantis released Gamora's wrist and carefully stood. "I am sorry!" Her voice was a loud, squeaking gasp as she frantically apologized, turning to Nebula and reaching a hand out. "I panicked, I did not mean to-"

"Just stay away from me!" Nebula snarled.

Mantis flinched back and hung her head, her hands raised up as though prepared to sheild herself from a blow.

"Fine. Have it your way, sister." Nebula's voice was low and dangerous as she threw the emerald staff across the court where it clattered across the stonework and bounced against Mantis's legs. "But it'll be your fault when she's slaughtered like a hapless animal. I suppose your conscious can't get much dirtier than it already is, anyways."

Gamora barely seemed to register what her sister had said in her stupefied state, but Peter could swear he saw something like a tear shining in the corner of her eye, and as she raised her hands to stare at them, they were shaking much like they had been when her mind had been stripped on knowhere.

Nebula gave a final disgusted roll of her eyes at her sister's state and stalked up the stairs, probably heading out into the canyon to walk her frustration out.

Mantis chewed on her lip as she took a step after Nebula then seemed to think better of it and turned to Gamora instead. "I-" She stilled when Peter placed his hand gently on her shoulder, turning her wide eyes on him. "I did not mean to upset them. Is there anything I can do?"

Peter did his best to give her a reassuring smile. He was just wondering the same thing, however.

"I am Groot," Groot spoke up tentatively as he stepped in.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Peter agreed. "Why don't you guys go take a break?"

"Yes," Mantis wiped at her eyes and pulled her lips into a rough attempt at a smile. "I can show you the water gardens with the Andrean Lily's," she offered. When she pulled her hand away from her face, her knuckles were wet with tears.

"Are you okay?" Peter asked, suddenly worried she'd been hurt more than he realized.

"I am fine. They are not my tears." Mantis took his hand in hers and leaned in to whisper, low enough that Gamora could not hear. "She is filled with such sorrow, and regret. It causes her great pain." She gave his hand a light squeeze then released it to join Drax and Groot who escorted her from the court.

Peter heaved a sigh as they vanished from sight as well, leaving him alone with Gamora. When he turned back, he found that she had moved to sit at the edge of the canyon, her legs hugged loosely to her chest and her head hung low.

"Hey." Peter joined her on the cliff, dangling his legs over the edge. "Are you... okay?"

There was no answer, but the threatening tears seemed to have vanished from her eyes and the trembling had stopped.

"Gamora? Please say something."

"It's too late isn't it?"

"What?"

"She was right. Her whole life, I've done nothing but destroy her. There is nothing I can do to fix the space between us. Every time I try I just make things worse."

"Come on, there must have been something, some good memory the two of you have together? I mean, she's your sister. You always loved her, right?"

"I don't know." Her voice was hushed and she stared over the canyon with empty eyes. "I remember loving her- I do. I swear I always did, but... I also remember throwing her over that cliff. I remember nearly killing her over and over and over again. I don't even know anymore, how many times Thanos had to bring her back... just so I could do it again. How could I have done that to someone I loved?"

"You were... trying to help her," Peter ventured carefully, feeling hopelessly out of his element. He knew very little about their past together, and what he did know only made him glad to not know more.

"She was just a kid," Gamora lamented, drawing her knees tighter. "She was just a little kid."

"So were you."

"I was older. I was stronger, and faster, and she never stood a chance against me. Never- why couldn't I see that? If I had been smarter- If I could have seen through what they did to me-"

"It wouldn't have mattered," Peter told her, and she finally turned her head and let her gaze meet his. Some miserable mixture of doubt and fear and dread swirling behind them. "It ended the same in my timeline. Her head, her eye... her arm. She had all those modifications the first time I met her, in my universe, as well."

Gamora's shoulder's slumped and she turned back to the canyon. "Do you know what happened to her arm?" she whispered.

"Thanos took it right?" Peter asked, really, really hoping that she was going to nod and affirm that, but knowing already that she wouldn't. "That's what she said."

"We were searching for the Orb, and she became entangled in lazor-thorn wires. They cannot be severed with a metal blade, so I gave her my knife and I left her to carve off her own limb and the corner of her face, and crawl back home on her own."

Peter couldn't help but wince at the gruesome thought. He did his best to shove it aside and focus on the here and now.

"Thanos gave me my orders, and I saw them through without question. I never even looked back."

Peter didn't know what to say here. He lifted a hand and reached for Gamora's, then pulled it back, not knowing how to give her any sort of comfort she would accept.

"So you're taking things so slow with Mantis because-"

"I don't want to make the same mistakes all over again."

"You won't."

Her brown eyes flickered back to stare at him from the corner of here vision, glowing a warm amber with traces of gold in the bright sun.

"It's not you," Peter told her. "It was never you. You're not like that. You're the kindest, most amazing person I have ever met, Gamora. The Guardians of the Galaxy wouldn't exist without you. You're like our moral compass. When the rest of the Guardians start falling off track, you're the one that always pulls us back and reminds us what we're here for."

Beneath a thousand layers of guilt and misery and trauma, Peter thought he saw a spark of hope somewhere in the depths of her eyes.

"You inspire me, Gamora. You make me a better person every day. I'm not just some outlaw now, I'm a hero. That's because of you. No matter what the universe threw at us, and it threw a lot, you were always steady and brave and there to help. When Ego told me he killed my mother, and then Yondu died in my arms, you held me together. Peeled me and Rocket up off of I don't even know how many bathroom and bar floors, made sure we didn't do anything too stupid. When Groot burned up on Xandar, you helped raise him again, watered him, played his music, and looked after him when things got hairy. He even called you mom. Through a  _big_ fit when Rocket had to explain you weren't actually his mom. Whenever things get really bad here or feel impossible, I think to myself 'what would Gamora do' and then I do my best to do that.

"I know you don't remember any of that because, here, it never happened, but that's the Gamora I know. That's the Gamora I fell in love with, and that's who I know you are, beyond everything that twisted Titan did to you. If you can't be the moral compass of the group right now, that's fine. Maybe it's time for me to step up and return the favor. I can totally be the the bigger person here. I've got this. So you just sit back and focus on saving your parents. I'll take care of everything else."

Gamora regarded him silently for a moment, then the faintest traces of a real, honest smile crossed her face. "Thank you, Peter."

"Any time."

They sat in silence after that, watching the canyon glow gold then fade to scarlet as the sun set behind them.

**End**

**Chapter 18 Preview:** "... _He finished a lap around the meadow and stared into the shadowy forest, his hands on his hips as he debated the safety of wandering in without his mask to see in the dark. These seemed much thicker than the forest in the canyon, which allowed plenty of starlight to filter through, and Rocket could have easily set all manner of less technical traps to ward off Peter's attempts to pursue a conversation_.

 _"_ _Come on Rocket! We're leaving soon! Now or never, man!_..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went and saw Endgame! I won't put any spoilers here, I'm just excited.
> 
> Keep your eyes open for a short Endgame inspired ficlet by me, however!
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy the new chapter! I've been excited to get to this once since FOREVER! And now it's finally done! Now we get to get the ball rolling into the next arc!
> 
> Thank you for continuing to read and support this fic, and for being patient with my very erratic update schedule.
> 
> -OMaM


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